Skip to Content

Integrations

Last modified by Tiina Silvonen on 2026/06/18 08:21

 

Integrations

Systems can be integrated in three main ways:

  • API gateway (recommended)
  • ESB (for specific integration needs)
  • Direct point-to-point integrations (not recommended)

The API gateway (Gravitee portal) is the preferred way to publish and consume APIs. It provides a centralized and managed approach for exposing interfaces and enables self-service API publishing and consumption. For self-service see the guide and the service description in Flamma

The ESB (Enterprise Service Bus) is used for more complex integrations between internal systems, especially when additional processing or orchestration is required. ESB-based integrations are typically developed and maintained by the integration team.  Further details about the integration service are available here:  Flamma service catalog 

Point-to-point integrations should generally be avoided, as they create tight coupling and are harder to maintain. However, they may be acceptable in simple or short-term cases.

Choosing the right integration approach

Use the API gateway when:

  • publishing APIs for others to use
  • exposing services for wider reuse
  • building new integrations with a clear API interface
  • use the API gateway unless there is a clear reason to use the ESB.

Use the ESB when:

  • the integration is complex
  • data needs to be transformed or combined from multiple sources
  • business logic or orchestration is required
  • integrating directly between systems with limited consumers

An integration implemented with the ESB can also be exposed through the API gateway if it provides reusable interfaces.

Benefits of the API gateway

  • Provides a centralized API catalog, making APIs visible and discoverable
  • Supports self-service API publishing
  • Encourages consistent API documentation (Swagger/OpenAPI)
  • Enables reuse of existing APIs
  • Simplifies management of the API ecosystem
  • Provides built-in support for monitoring, statistics, and CI/CD through REST APIs

 

General support and API-gateway access rights:

tike-ohjelmistotuotanto@helsinki.fi

Slack:

helsinkifi.slack.com: #api-management, #devops

Technical support for integration platforms and integration service:

tike-integraatiopalvelu@helsinki.fi

Guidelines:

tike-skva@helsinki.fi

Teams: Sovelluskehityksen viitearkkitehtuurin suunnitteluryhmä