Overview
An API Gateway is a critical component in microservices architectures. It provides a single entry point for external clients and handles cross-cutting concerns that would otherwise need to be implemented in every service.
Key Functions
- Routing: Directs requests to the correct microservice.
- Authentication & Authorization: Verifies the identity of the requester and their permissions.
- Rate Limiting: Protects backend services from being overwhelmed by too many requests.
- Protocol Translation: e.g., converting between REST/HTTP and gRPC.
- Caching: Stores responses to improve performance and reduce load.
Popular Solutions
- Kong
- Tyk
- AWS API Gateway
- Google Cloud Apigee