What is the purpose of API autodiscovery?

API autodiscovery serves a crucial role in integrating Mule applications with API Manager by facilitating automatic configuration and management. When a deployed Mule application uses API autodiscovery, it can connect to the API Manager to download various policies that can be applied to the API, as well as manage the API lifecycle effectively.

This ability to act as its own API proxy allows the Mule application to enforce security policies, access controls, and service level agreements that are defined in API Manager. It enhances governance and provides a centralized point for managing APIs and their consumption without requiring manual configurations after deployment.

The other options do not accurately capture the specific capabilities and intentions behind API autodiscovery, particularly in regard to its direct connection with API Manager and the dynamics of policy downloads. This highlights the importance of understanding how autodiscovery integrates with management tools in the MuleSoft ecosystem.