API Gateway(Reverse Proxy) - Application Programming Interface Gateway
What is API Gateway?
An API Gateway is a server that acts as an entry point into a backend system or microservices architecture. It manages, routes, secures, and monitors API requests from clients to services.
Why is API Gateway useful?
API Gateways are useful because they: - Centralize access control and authentication - Enforce rate limiting and throttling - Provide load balancing and routing - Handle cross-cutting concerns like logging, metrics, and caching - Simplify communication between external clients and complex backend services
How it works?
The API Gateway receives client requests and: - Authenticates and authorizes them - Transforms or validates the request data if needed - Routes the request to the appropriate backend service - Aggregates data from multiple services if required - Sends back the response to the client It also manages timeouts, retries, caching, and monitoring.
Where is API Gateway used?
API Gateways are widely used in: - Microservices architectures - Cloud-native applications - Mobile and web backend systems - Serverless platforms - Examples include AWS API Gateway, NGINX, Kong, Apigee, and Azure API Management.
Which OSI layer does this protocol belong to?
API Gateway operates at the Application Layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model.
Is API Gateway Windows specific?
No, API Gateways are not Windows specific. They can be deployed on any OS that supports network services, including Windows, Linux, and containerized environments like Docker/Kubernetes.
Is API Gateway Linux specific?
No, API Gateways are not Linux specific. While many are optimized for Linux environments (e.g., NGINX), they are designed to run on multiple platforms.
Which Transport Protocol is used by API Gateway?
API Gateways primarily use: - HTTP/HTTPS - Some may also support WebSocket, gRPC, or TCP depending on the implementation.
Which Port is used by API Gateway?
Common default ports include: - Port 80 for HTTP - Port 443 for HTTPS - Custom ports can be configured as needed depending on the use case.
Is API Gateway using Client server model?
Yes, an API Gateway is a key component of the client-server model. - Clients make requests to the API Gateway. - The Gateway handles the logic and forwards requests to the appropriate backend services (servers), then relays responses back to the client.
In this section, you are going to learn
Terminology
Version Info
rfc details
setup
setup
packet details
usecases
features
Reference links