Utilizing an API gateway for security and logging

[jduan00]

What

An API gateway is a centralized entry point for managing interactions between clients and backend services.
It acts as a reverse proxy and routes requests to the appropriate services.
It handles tasks like authentication, authorization, access control, SSL/TLS offloading, routing, and load balancing.

Key Functions of an API Gateway:

• Authentication and Authorization: Verifies the identity of the client and ensures they have permission to access the requested resources.

• Security: Protects backend services from unauthorized access and potential attacks.

• Rate Limiting: Controls the number of requests a client can make within a certain time period to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage.

• Monitoring and Logging: Tracks API usage, performance, and errors to help with troubleshooting and performance optimization.

• Caching: Stores frequently accessed data to improve response times.

• Routing: Directs client requests to the correct backend service based on defined rules and policies.

• Load Balancing: Distributes traffic across multiple instances of a service to prevent overload and ensure high availability.

• Protocol Translation: Converts requests between different protocols (e.g., HTTP, REST, GraphQL).

• Service Discovery: Helps clients discover and interact with backend services.

• Transformation: Modifies requests or responses before or after they are sent to or from the backend services.

Likely future architecture

User Request ==> API Gateway ==> Fly.io Balancer ==> Fly.io Application

API Gateway providers

1. Cloudflare
2. Ngrok
3. nginx
4. HAProxy