Instead of making each small service in a microservices system handle security, what central component can apply authentication and rate limiting for all requests before they reach the services?

The central component that can apply authentication and rate limiting for all requests before they reach the services in a microservices system is an API Gateway. An API Gateway acts as the single entry point for all client requests entering a microservices system. It functions as a reverse proxy, routing incoming requests to the appropriate backend microservices, which are small, independent services that together form an application. By centralizing these concerns, individual services can focus purely on their specific business logic without needing to implement security measures themselves. For authentication, the API Gateway intercepts every incom....