An API Gateway is a server or service that acts as an entry point into a system, providing a unified interface for client applications to access a collection of backend microservices, APIs, and resources. It serves as a reverse proxy, routing requests to appropriate backend services while handling cross-cutting concerns like authentication, rate limiting, monitoring, and transformation.
Within enterprise architecture, API gateways have evolved from simple proxies to sophisticated traffic management platforms that decouple client applications from backend implementation details. This architectural component has become increasingly vital as organizations shift toward microservices and distributed systems, where direct client-to-service communication would introduce excessive complexity and security vulnerabilities.
Modern API gateway implementations often provide capabilities beyond basic routing, including request/response transformation, service discovery, circuit breaking, and analytics. For CTOs and technical architects, selecting the right gateway technology requires balancing performance requirements against features like developer experience, operational complexity, and integration with existing security infrastructure. Organizations pursuing multi-cloud or hybrid deployment models typically implement gateway meshes that span environments while maintaining consistent policy enforcement. Enterprise architects must consider how API gateway selection impacts the broader API management strategy, including developer portal integration, monetization capabilities, and the balance between centralized and federated governance models that appropriately address organizational scale and autonomy needs.
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