An API Gateway is a server that acts as an intermediary between an API consumer and a collection of microservices. It provides a single entry point for clients to access various services and handles tasks such as:
- Security: The API Gateway can authenticate and authorize requests, protecting the underlying microservices from unauthorized access.
- Rate Limiting: It can enforce limits on the number of requests a client can make within a certain time period, preventing abuse or overloading of services.
- Caching: The API Gateway can cache responses from microservices, reducing the load on downstream services and improving performance.
- Request/Response Transformations: It can modify or transform the format of requests and responses to match the specific requirements of the API consumer or the microservices.
By providing these capabilities, an API Gateway simplifies the development and management of a distributed system by abstracting the complexities of the underlying microservices architecture. It also enhances performance, security, and scalability of the overall system.