API gateway
A centralized entry point that manages, secures, and routes API requests between clients and backend services in cloud and microservices environments.
An API gateway is a server that acts as a single entry point for API requests, handling tasks such as request routing, authentication, rate limiting, and protocol translation. It simplifies client interactions, enforces security policies, and aggregates responses from multiple backend services.
API gateways are essential in microservices and cloud-native architectures, where they provide unified access control, monitoring, and traffic management. Popular API gateway solutions include Kong, Apigee, and AWS API Gateway.
By deploying an API gateway, organizations can streamline API management, improve security, and deliver consistent user experiences across distributed systems.