In modern distributed systems, different components work together to handle requests, scale applications, and ensure reliability. Here’s a quick summary of commonly used components with real-world tools for each.
API Gateway
Acts as the single entry point for all client requests. It routes requests to internal services, handles authentication, rate limiting, caching, and request validation.
Tools/Examples:
- Kong
- Amazon API Gateway
- Apigee (Google)
- Nginx (can be configured as gateway)
- Zuul (Netflix OSS)
👉 Best for microservices architecture to centralize all API traffic.
Reverse Proxy
Sits between clients and backend servers. It forwards client requests to the appropriate server while hiding the server details. Can also handle caching, SSL termination, compression.
Tools/Examples:
- Nginx
- Apache HTTP Server
- HAProxy
- Caddy
👉 Used to improve security and manage traffic flow to backend servers.
Load Balancer
Distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers to prevent overload and ensure high availability. Helps with scalability and fault tolerance.
Types:
- Layer 4 (Transport) – Uses TCP/UDP
- Layer 7 (Application) – Uses HTTP/HTTPS & application logic
Tools/Examples:
- AWS ELB / ALB
- HAProxy
- Nginx
- Traefik
- F5 Big-IP
👉 Ensures no single server becomes a bottleneck.
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
Caches and delivers static assets (images, videos, scripts) from edge locations closer to users — improving performance and latency.
Tools/Examples:
- Cloudflare
- Akamai
- AWS CloudFront
- Fastly
👉 Best for static assets, video streaming, and global content delivery.
Message Queue / Streaming
Used for asynchronous communication between services. Helps with decoupling, buffering, and reliable message delivery.
Tools/Examples:
- Kafka
- RabbitMQ
- AWS SQS
- Google Pub/Sub
- ActiveMQ
👉 Ideal when services shouldn’t wait for each other.
Cache Layer
Stores frequently accessed data to reduce database load and improve speed. Can be in-memory or distributed.
Tools/Examples:
- Redis
- Memcached
- Hazelcast
- Aerospike
👉 Great for session storage, lookup data, leaderboards, caching SQL queries.
Database Types (Quick Recap)
| Type | Use Case | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| SQL | Strong consistency | PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle |
| NoSQL | High scalability | MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB |
| In-Memory | Fast reads | Redis, Memcached |
| Graph | Relationships | Neo4j, JanusGraph |
Service Discovery
Automatically tracks available services and their dynamic locations (IP/ports). Essential in microservices.
Tools/Examples:
- Consul
- Eureka (Netflix)
- Etcd
- Zookeeper
👉 Helps services find and communicate with each other without manual config.
Summary Table
| Component | Purpose | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| API Gateway | Entry point for clients | Kong, API Gateway, Zuul |
| Reverse Proxy | Forward client requests | Nginx, Apache, HAProxy |
| Load Balancer | Distribute traffic | AWS ELB, Nginx, Traefik |
| CDN | Deliver static content | Cloudflare, Akamai |
| Message Queue | Async communication | Kafka, RabbitMQ |
| Cache | Fast data access | Redis, Memcached |
| Service Discovery | Track service IPs | Consul, Eureka |
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