API Gateway
A server that acts as an entry point for APIs, handling request routing, authentication, rate limiting, and other cross-cutting concerns.
In-Depth Explanation
An API gateway is a server that sits between clients and backend services, acting as a reverse proxy to accept all API calls, aggregate the various services required, and return the appropriate result.
Core functions:
- Request routing: Direct requests to appropriate services
- Authentication: Verify API keys, tokens, certificates
- Rate limiting: Control request volume per client
- Load balancing: Distribute traffic across instances
- Caching: Store responses to reduce backend load
- Transformation: Modify requests and responses
Additional capabilities:
- SSL termination
- Request/response logging
- Analytics and monitoring
- API versioning
- Circuit breaking
- Request validation
Popular API gateways:
- AWS API Gateway
- Azure API Management
- Google Cloud Endpoints
- Kong
- NGINX
- Apigee
Business Context
API gateways simplify API management by centralising cross-cutting concerns, improving security, and enabling consistent policies across services.
How Clever Ops Uses This
We implement API gateways for Australian businesses to secure and manage AI APIs, ensuring proper authentication, monitoring, and rate limiting.
Example Use Case
"Using an API gateway to secure AI model endpoints, authenticate requests with API keys, rate limit by customer tier, and log all requests for billing."