Api Gateways Flashcards
What is an API Gateway and why is it used
An API Gateway acts as an intermediary between clients and backend services managing requests routing them and handling authentication logging and rate limiting
How does an API Gateway improve security
It provides authentication authorization and encryption to protect backend services from unauthorized access
What performance optimizations does an API Gateway offer
It includes caching compression and request aggregation to enhance response times and reduce backend load
How does an API Gateway help in a microservices architecture
It simplifies management by acting as a single entry point decoupling clients from services and allowing independent service evolution
What is request routing in an API Gateway
It directs client requests to the appropriate backend service based on URL patterns and service configurations
How does authentication and authorization work in an API Gateway
It verifies client identity using methods like OAuth API keys or JWT and ensures users have correct permissions
What is rate limiting in an API Gateway
It controls the number of requests a client can make within a given time to prevent abuse and maintain service stability
How does request transformation work in an API Gateway
It modifies incoming requests or outgoing responses such as adding headers changing query parameters or restructuring data
Why is load balancing important in an API Gateway
It distributes incoming requests across multiple service instances to ensure even resource utilization and availability
What is caching in an API Gateway
It stores responses for frequently accessed resources to reduce backend processing and improve latency
How does logging and monitoring work in an API Gateway
It captures request and response logs for tracking debugging and analytics purposes
What is API versioning in an API Gateway
It allows multiple API versions to coexist by routing requests to the correct versioned service
How does an API Gateway process a client request
It authenticates applies rate limits transforms and routes the request to the appropriate backend service then sends back the response
What are some popular API Gateway tools
Some popular tools are NGINX Kong AWS API Gateway Apigee and Traefik each offering unique features
What are the advantages of using an API Gateway
It simplifies client interactions enhances security offloads backend complexity and improves scalability
What are the disadvantages of using an API Gateway
It can introduce a single point of failure add latency increase complexity and incur higher costs
How does an API Gateway differ from a reverse proxy
An API Gateway manages API requests provides authentication rate limiting and transformation whereas a reverse proxy primarily routes traffic
How does an API Gateway differ from a Load Balancer
An API Gateway operates at the application layer managing API-specific concerns while a Load Balancer distributes traffic across servers for availability
Why is an API Gateway essential for microservices
It abstracts microservices complexity provides a unified interface and facilitates service communication efficiently
How does an API Gateway handle GraphQL requests
It enables GraphQL support allowing clients to query only the necessary data optimizing performance and reducing payload size
What is the difference between an API Gateway and a Service Mesh
An API Gateway handles client-to-service traffic whereas a Service Mesh manages service-to-service communication within a microservices architecture
How does an API Gateway contribute to scalability
It enables load balancing caching and request optimization allowing backend services to scale independently
How can an API Gateway help with security compliance
It enforces security policies like rate limiting authentication encryption and logging ensuring regulatory compliance
How do API Gateways support microservices deployments
They route requests manage access handle failures and enable service discovery in dynamic microservices environments
How do you secure an API Gateway
Security measures include authentication authorization rate limiting TLS encryption and request validation
What is the role of an API Gateway in API monetization
It enables API access control usage tracking billing and rate limiting to support monetization strategies
What are the challenges of implementing an API Gateway
Challenges include configuration complexity potential bottlenecks managing failures and handling high traffic loads
How do API Gateways handle failures and retries
They implement automatic retries circuit breakers and failover mechanisms to maintain reliability
What factors should be considered when choosing an API Gateway
Factors include scalability security performance integrations ease of management and cost
What are the benefits of using a managed API Gateway service
Managed API Gateways provide scalability security analytics monitoring and integration with cloud services reducing operational overhead
What is an API Gateway
An API Gateway manages API requests providing authentication authorization caching rate limiting and request transformation
What is a Load Balancer
A Load Balancer distributes network traffic across multiple servers to ensure availability and reliability
How does an API Gateway differ from a Load Balancer in terms of functionality
An API Gateway handles API management tasks like authentication rate limiting and request transformation while a Load Balancer focuses on distributing traffic across multiple servers
At which network layer does an API Gateway operate
An API Gateway operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model the application layer where it processes HTTP requests
At which network layer does a Load Balancer operate
A Load Balancer can operate at Layer 4 transport layer handling TCP or UDP traffic or Layer 7 application layer handling HTTP or HTTPS traffic
How does request handling differ between an API Gateway and a Load Balancer
An API Gateway routes requests based on API endpoints applies transformations and enforces security while a Load Balancer directs traffic based on server health and availability
Which component is responsible for securing APIs an API Gateway or a Load Balancer
An API Gateway secures APIs by implementing authentication authorization and encryption a Load Balancer does not typically handle security directly
Can an API Gateway perform load balancing
Yes an API Gateway can distribute requests among backend services but its primary role is API management while a dedicated Load Balancer focuses solely on traffic distribution
Which component would you use for balancing traffic across multiple instances of a monolithic application
A Load Balancer is best for distributing traffic across multiple instances of a monolithic application
Which component would you use for managing API requests for microservices
An API Gateway is best for managing API requests for microservices as it provides routing security and request transformation
How does an API Gateway enhance microservices communication
An API Gateway abstracts microservices complexity provides a unified entry point and manages request routing authentication and rate limiting
How does a Load Balancer enhance application performance
A Load Balancer enhances performance by distributing incoming traffic evenly across multiple instances reducing server load and preventing failures
What is an example of using an API Gateway in an e-commerce platform
An API Gateway in an e-commerce platform can route user requests to the User Service orders to the Order Service and products to the Product Service
What is an example of using a Load Balancer in an e-commerce platform
A Load Balancer in an e-commerce platform can distribute incoming traffic among multiple instances of the product catalog service to prevent overload
Can an API Gateway and Load Balancer be used together
Yes an API Gateway and Load Balancer can work together where the Load Balancer distributes traffic across multiple API Gateway instances ensuring availability
