Service API Patterns, Protocols, Coupling Types, Metrics > Service API Versioning Patterns > Version Identification

 

Version Identification

How can service consumers be made aware of service API version information?

When an already-published service API is changed, unaware consumers will miss the opportunity to leverage the change or may be negatively impacted by the change.

With the application of the Version Identification pattern, the service API can be designed to express version identifiers that allow the consumer to confidently determine whether it is compatible with the service. The use of version identifiers further supports the Concurrent Service APIs pattern for versioning purposes, thereby allowing a consumer to choose the correct API based on its expressed version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because the service APIs express versioning information, Consumer A can proceed to invoke Version 3 of the service API because it was designed to be compatible with that specific version.