FireTail support for Enhanced Payload Logging For AWS API Gateway V1

The latest update to FireTail’s platform introduces enhanced logging capabilities for API Gateway V1, offering detailed insights into request and response data, including headers, bodies, and additional metrics. These enhancements provide users with a comprehensive view of API activity, leading to improved threat detection, automated OpenAPI specification generation, and enhanced overall API management.

What’s New in Payload Logging?

With the logging updates, payload logging now captures complete request and response payloads, delivering full visibility into data exchanges within your APIs. This includes:

• Headers: Both request and response headers.
• Bodies: Full details of request and response bodies.
• Query Strings: request query string parameters and values

Additionally, these logs are enriched with valuable metrics, such as:

• GraphQL Query Depth: Provides insights into the structure of GraphQL queries, supporting performance monitoring and helping to identify potential vulnerabilities from complex, nested queries.
• GraphQL Query Complexity: Provides a score based on the complexity of the GraphQL query out of 100
• Request and response payload sizing: Provides sizes for requests and response headers and bodies.

These enriched metrics can be accessed and reviewed in the API details section of the FireTail platform.

Key Benefits:

• Enhanced Threat Detection: Access to complete request and response data simplifies identifying suspicious patterns and unusual API usage. Comprehensive payload visibility enables real-time detection and response to security threats.
• Automated OpenAPI Specification Generation: By logging all parameters and data objects from actual API interactions, OpenAPI specs can be automatically generated for each endpoint. This ensures that your documentation remains accurate and reflects real-world usage, which is crucial in complex environments.
• Improved API Management: Insights from metrics like query depth, resolver count, and complexity scoring allow for better management of API traffic and security. You can fine-tune configurations to balance performance and security based on current demands.

Generating an OpenAPI Spec from Logs

To generate an OpenAPI spec, access the API in the FireTail platform and go to Specifications. Next, select the “Generate Spec” option. FireTail will create a detailed OpenAPI document with schemas derived from each unique request and response payload. This is especially useful in complex environments, ensuring that all data objects and parameters are accurately captured.

Conclusion

Enhanced payload logging with AWS API Gateway V1 equips users with valuable tools for API management, offering further visibility, stronger security, and automated OpenAPI spec generation. With access to detailed request and response payloads, you can build APIs that are secure, compliant, and efficient.