API Gateway
An API gateway is the unified entry point for microservices, handling cross-cutting concerns such as routing, authentication, rate limiting, caching, and protocol conversion.
Purpose
Centrally manage cross-cutting concerns of microservices, simplifying client-service interaction.
Mechanism
Clients call the gateway, which routes to backend services. Features: authentication/authorization, rate limiting and circuit breaking, request aggregation (BFF), caching, protocol conversion (REST↔gRPC), logging and monitoring. Kong/APISIX/Envoy.
Use cases
- Microservices entry point
- Unified authentication
- Traffic management