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What is OpenCAPIF?

OpenCAPIF is an open source implementation of the CAPIF Core Function APIs plus the logic and additional services required to fulfill the 3GPP requirements and deliver the expected functionality.

CAPIF is the “Common API Framework” defined by 3GPP to manage the APIs exposed by 3GPP networks in their northbound interfaces.

3GPP specifications for CAPIF defines three types of entities:

  • API Providers, which are the entities exposing APIs (e.g., NEF)
  • API Invokers, which are the entities that consume APIs (e.g., Applications), and
  • the CAPIF Core Function, which manages the relationships between the other two.

CAPIF Core Function

The CAPIF Core Function is the cornerstone of the Common API Framework and provides the following capabilities:

  • Authenticating the API Invoker based on its identity and other information;
  • Supporting mutual authentication with the API Invoker;
  • Providing authorization for the API Invoker prior to accessing the exposed APIs;
  • Publishing, storing, and supporting the discovery of service APIs information;
  • Controlling the service API access based on PLMN operator configured policies;
  • Storing the logs for the service API invocations and providing the service API invocation logs to authorized entities;
  • Charging based on the logs of the service API invocations;
  • Monitoring the service API invocations;
  • Onboarding a new API Invoker and offboarding an API Invoker;
  • Storing policy configurations related to CAPIF and service APIs;
  • Support for accessing the logs for auditing (e.g., detecting abuse); and
  • Support for publishing and discovery of service APIs information among CAPIF Core Function (CAPIF interconnection).

The following diagram shows how API Invokers and API Providers interact with the CAPIF Core Function to Register in CAPIF, Publish APIs, Discover APIs and Consume APIs. It is important to highlight that the CAPIF Core Function is not a classical API Gateway. The API consumption takes place directly between the API Invoker and the API Provider. Therefore, CAPIF does not impact API performance in API consumption between API Invokers and API Providers.

Flow

If you want to know more about OpenCAPIF check The story behind openCAPIF

Repository structure

You can check the code at OpenCAPIF Repository

CAPIF_API_Services
└───helm
└───monitoring
└───services
└───tests
└───tools
    └───robot
    └───open_api_script
  • helm: This folder contains helm files to deploy capif under k8s environment.
  • monitoring: This folder contains grafana helm files to deploy capif under k8s environment.
  • services: Services developed following CAPIF API specifications. Also, other complementary services (e.g., NGINX and JWTauth services for the authentication of API consuming entities).
  • tools: Auxiliary tools. Robot Framework related code and OpenAPI scripts.
  • test: Tests developed using Robot Framework.

CAPIF_API_Services

This repository has the python-flask Mockup servers created with openapi-generator related with CAPIF APIS defined here: Open API Descriptions of 3GPP 5G APIs

How to test CAPIF APIs

The above APIs can be tested either with POSTMAN tool or running the developed tests with Robot Framework.

Test Plan Documentation

Complete documentation of tests is available here: Test Plan Directory

Robot Framework

In order to ensure that modifications over CAPIF services still fulfills the required functionality, the Robot Framework Test Suite must be successfully run.

The Robot Test Suite covers the requirements described in the test plan at Test Plan Directory folder.

Please check the Testing with Robot Framework Section

Using PostMan

You can also test the CAPIF flow using the Postman tool. To do this, we have created a collection with some examples of CAPIF requests with everything necessary to carry them out.

For more information on how to test the APIs with POSTMAN, go to this POSTMAN Section.

Important urls:

Mongo CAPIF's DB Dashboard

http://localhost:8082/ (if accessed from localhost) 

or

http://<Mongo CAPIF Express Host IP>:8082/ (if accessed from another host)

Mongo Register's DB Dashboard

http://localhost:8083/ (if accessed from localhost) 

or

http://<Mongo Register Express Host IP>:8083/ (if accessed from another host)

FAQ Documentation

Frequently asked questions can be found here: FAQ Section