Microservices & API Gateways
Microservices are an architectural approach where an application is structured as a collection of small, independent services, each responsible for a specific functionality. API Gateways act as a single entry point for these microservices, managing requests, routing, authentication, and aggregation. This setup simplifies client interactions, enhances security, and allows for easier scaling and maintenance, enabling organizations to build flexible and resilient systems tailored to evolving business needs.
Microservices & API Gateways
Microservices are an architectural approach where an application is structured as a collection of small, independent services, each responsible for a specific functionality. API Gateways act as a single entry point for these microservices, managing requests, routing, authentication, and aggregation. This setup simplifies client interactions, enhances security, and allows for easier scaling and maintenance, enabling organizations to build flexible and resilient systems tailored to evolving business needs.
💡 Key Takeaways
- Understand what microservices are and why apps are split into small, independent services.
- Explain the API gateway's role as a single entry point that routes requests and aggregates results.
- Describe how API gateways manage authentication, security, and cross-cutting concerns across services.
- Recognize common challenges and trade-offs of microservices and API gateways, like data consistency and observability.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is a microservice?
An architectural approach where an application is built as a collection of small, independently deployable services, each responsible for a specific business capability and communicating over a network.
What is an API gateway?
A single entry point in front of microservices that routes client requests to the right service, handles authentication/authorization, and can perform request aggregation.
How do microservices typically communicate?
Over lightweight network protocols like HTTP/REST or gRPC; they may also use asynchronous messaging to decouple services.
What is response aggregation in API gateways?
The gateway gathers data from multiple microservices and combines it into a single response for the client, reducing the number of client calls.