Word of the Day: API gateway

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms | August 6, 2018 API gateway An API gateway is programming that sits in front of an application programming interface (API) and acts as a single point of entry for a defined group of microservices. Because a gateway handles protocol translations, this type of front-end programming is especially useful when clients built with microservices make use of multiple, disparate APIs. A major benefit of using API gateways is that they allow developers to encapsulate the internal structure of an application in multiple ways, depending upon use case. This is because, in addition to accommodating direct requests, gateways can be used to invoke multiple back-end services and aggregate the results.   Because developers must update the API gateway each time a new microservice is added or removed, it is important that the process for updating the gateway be as lightweight as possible. This is why when evaluating API gateways, it's important for developers to look at features the vendor has added to differentiate its product from the competition.   In addition to exposing microservices, popular API gateway features include functions such as: authentication security policy enforcement load balancing cache management dependency resolution contract and service level agreement management Quote of the Day "Overall, a strong API strategy allows software development to move faster, because you don't build from the ground up each time." - Ross Mason Trending Terms microservices API management Amazon API Gateway API cloud storage API AWS Lambda Learning Center Manage APIs with connectivity-led strategy to cure data access woes Traditional IT created data silos that cause data access and delivery problems today. MuleSoft founder Ross Mason explains how to manage APIs with a connectivity-led strategy to achieve real-time data access and how APIs speed the adoption of new technologies, such as AI and FaaS. Healthcare APIs get a new trial run for Medicare claims In another move toward interoperability, Blue Button 2.0 is the latest in a series of healthcare APIs to try to standardize data delivery to patients and others. Here's why 500 developers are giving the Medicare claims API a look. How to combine API and microservices management This article takes a critical look at how microservices management and API management can be combined to achieve the best of both. Why use new lifecycle tools in API management platforms? Having trouble with API quality assurance, versioning and retirement? Take a look at API management platforms that assist with lifecycle control. A roundup of the top API management tools available today Choosing the right API management tools for your needs may seem like a daunting task. Use this product roundup to point you in the right direction. Quiz Yourself If you're not _______ well-versed in microservices and containers, you're running at the back of the pack. A. already B. all ready Answer Stay in Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed! FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2018 TechTarget. All rights reserved.