What is a Registry?

In the context of Apicurio, a registry is a runtime system (server) that stores a specific set of artifacts (files). At its core, a registry provides the ability to add, update, and remove the artifacts from the store, typically via a remote API of some kind (often a REST API).

Use Cases

API Registry

The key use-case for the Apicurio community, an API Registry is a system that allows users to register their API designs (e.g. OpenAPI or AsyncAPI files) so that potential API consumers can do the following:

• Browse/search the list of APIs available in production
• View details about a single available API
• Learn how to use an API (via generated documentation)
• Generate Client SDKs for an API

Schema Registry

In the messaging and event streaming world, data that are published to topics and queues often must be serialized or validated using a Schema (e.g. Apache Avro, JSON Schema, or Google protocol buffers). Schemas can be packaged in each application, but it is often a better architectural pattern to instead register them in an external system and then referenced from each application. This allows the following:

• Decoupling of schemas from producers and consumers
• Potential to upgrade producers without upgrading consumers
• Central location to track all Schemas used in production
• Document the data format required for each topic/queue
• Centralized control of data format (schema) evolution

Apicurio Registry - Key Features