Request and Response Transformation
- API Gateways can transform requests and responses as they pass through. For example, they can convert data formats (e.g., from JSON to XML or vice versa) to ensure compatibility between different parts of the system.
- They can also aggregate data from multiple services into a single response, providing clients with a unified view.
Is API Gateway a Middleware?
Yes, an API Gateway is often considered a type of middleware. Middleware is software that sits between different applications or components in a system and provides services such as communication, data transformation, and security.
- An API Gateway acts as an intermediary between clients and backend services, routing requests, transforming data formats, and handling security and authentication.
- It abstracts the complexity of the underlying services and provides a unified interface for clients to interact with the system.
- In this sense, an API Gateway can be seen as a specialized form of middleware that specifically focuses on managing APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and the interactions between clients and services.