The Linux Foundation said today that it has agreed to host a promising open-source project known as the AsyncAPI Initiative that has already been put to use by several big enterprise technology firms.

The AsyncAPI Initiative includes both a specification and a set of open-source tools that are designed to work with asynchronous application programming interfaces and event-driven architectures, the foundation said.

APIs are software intermediaries that allow two independent applications to talk to each other. Essentially, an API acts as a door or a window into an application through which other apps can interact with it, without sharing any of its underlying code. The API makes it easy to talk to an app, while also ensuring that only permissible data is shared with those other apps.

Asynchronous APIs, meanwhile, are those that return data for requests either immediately or at a later time, depending on the nature of the request. They help retain functions in an application rather than tie up its resources waiting on requests that will be completed later.

An event-driven architecture is one that uses events to trigger and communicate between decoupled services and is common in modern applications built with microservices. An event can be a change in state, or an update, like an item being placed in a shopping cart on an e-commerce website.

The AsyncAPI specification helps to unify documentation automation and code generation, in attention to managing, testing and monitoring asynchronous APIs. It also provides a language for describing the interface of event-driven systems regardless of their underlying technology, and supports the full development lifecycle of event-driven architecture. AsyncAPI is said to be the sister project of the OpenAPI Initiative, which is focused on synchronous REST communication and is also hosted by the Linux Foundation.

The foundation said the AsyncAPI is one of the fastest-growing API specifications today, citing a recent developer survey by R Software Inc. that shows it tripled in production usage from 2019 to 2020. The AsyncAPI is backed by a number of well-known companies, including Salesforce.com Inc., SAP SE, PayPal Inc., Slack Technologies Inc., Postman Inc. and Adidas AG.

“Seeing how AsyncAPI has blossomed has been incredible,” said Salesforce Global Leader of API Strategy Matt McLarty. “Its progress has been guided by two key principles in my opinion: a focus on solving real world problems, and a focus on community. As the world of synchronous APIs and event-based communication converges, AsyncAPI plays a vital role in leveling the API playing field.”

AsyncAPI creator Fran Méndez said that with the growth of its ecosystem, it became necessary to find a neutral and trusted home to foster its ongoing development. He said adoption by the Linux Foundation was the natural next step for the project.

“We expect the open governance model architected and standardized by the Linux Foundation will ensure the initiative continues to thrive,” he added.

Analyst Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. told SiliconANGLE that the events in event-driven architectures do not occur on a predictable basis. What with the myriad of potential triggers of events, developers need some standardization, and that’s what the AsyncAPI helps provide.

“It’s good to see the Linux Foundation stepping up and supporting the AsyncAPI project,” Mueller said. “The wide reach of the Linux foundation will help to create an even more adopted, robust API for asynchronous, real-world events going forward.”

Image: AsyncAPI