Combination of API Gateway and Service Mesh
- Service meshes and API gateways are not incompatible. They can coexist in a well-thought-out microservices architecture, enhancing one another:
- For external clients, a strategically placed API gateway can serve as the main point of entry, centralizing access and imposing security regulations.
- A service mesh can handle safe, dependable, and visible communication between your microservices when it is smoothly included into the backend.
This powerful combination offers several advantages:
- Simplified External Client Communication: The API gateway acts as a single point of contact for external clients, streamlining access and management.
- Centralized Security: The API gateway enforces robust AuthZ policies at the entry point, enhancing overall application security.
- Resilient and Observable Microservices: The service mesh fosters robust communication between backend services, ensuring high availability and providing deep visibility into service interactions.
- Scalability: Both API gateways and service meshes can scale independently to accommodate growth within your microservices ecosystem.
API Gateway vs Service Mesh: Top Differences
Software development has been changed completely by the revolution of microservices, and this fosters agility, scalability, and maintainability. However, it can be a complex task to manage communication between them. The article below discusses API gateways and service meshes which are the two most useful tools that orchestrate communication in microservices architectures.
But what exactly are these technologies, and how do they differ? This comprehensive guide delves deep into the functionalities, deployment models, and strengths of both API gateways and service meshes. Through understanding their unique purposes you will be better placed to choose the right tool or combine them for better results to improve your microservices communication strategy.