Gateway (API)
A server that acts as the entry point for all API requests, handling authentication, rate limiting, routing, and logging. In automation infrastructure, API gateways add a security and reliability layer between workflows and downstream services.
Expert insight
An API gateway sitting in front of several backend services adds a layer of centralized authentication, rate limiting, and logging that individual services don't need to implement themselves, but it also becomes a single point of failure and a single latency add-on for every request that passes through it, worth the trade-off mainly once there's more than one backend service to front.
In a real workflow
An API gateway authenticates requests, applies rate limits and routes them to internal services.
Common mistakes
- Making the gateway a single point of failure.
- Hiding errors behind generic gateway messages.
Complexity level
Requires some familiarity with automation concepts.
Related terms
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of rules that allow two software applications to communicate. Most automat…
Authentication
Verifying the identity of the system or user making an API call. Methods include…
Rate limit backpressure
Slowing down the producer of a workflow (e.g., a data import) when the consumer …
See it in action
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