Traffic-Management

Cloud-native Networking and Service Meshes Cloud-native apps run in containers and use a dynamic network. Services scale up and down, versions roll out, and traffic moves across clouds. Traditional networking can become hard to manage in this world. A service mesh provides a dedicated layer to control, secure, and observe service-to-service communication, with minimal code changes. In practice, each microservice runs a small sidecar proxy. The control plane configures how these proxies talk to one another, handles credentials, and gathers metrics. The result is a consistent, observable, and secure fabric for a distributed app. ...

Content Delivery Networks for Fast Global Reach A content delivery network (CDN) helps your site load quickly for visitors around the world. By storing copies of your files in many locations, a CDN reduces travel distance, cuts wait times, and improves user satisfaction. Even small sites can gain noticeable speed gains by delivering assets from nearby servers. How a CDN works is simple in idea, but powerful in effect. The provider runs many points of presence (PoPs) close to users. When someone requests a file, the CDN serves it from the closest PoP. If the material isn’t cached yet, the edge fetches it from your origin server, caches a copy, and serves it on subsequent requests. Caching rules and headers decide what stays fresh and what must be refreshed, balancing speed with accuracy. ...

API Gateways and Service Meshes: Managing Microservices In modern software, microservices help teams move fast, but they bring new complexity. Two patterns help manage this complexity: API gateways and service meshes. They may look similar at first, but they solve different problems. An API gateway sits at the edge, handling north-south traffic from clients. A service mesh lives inside the cluster, coordinating east-west traffic between services. What they do, at a glance: ...

API Gateways and Service Meshes Modern cloud apps rely on two networking patterns that work well together: API gateways at the edge and service meshes inside clusters. They solve different problems, but together they improve security, reliability, and observability for both public and internal traffic. An API gateway sits at the boundary, facing clients. It handles north–south traffic: authenticating requests, applying rate limits, routing to the right service version, and terminating TLS. It can also cache responses, transform requests, and expose a clean API surface for partners. Popular options include NGINX, Kong, Traefik, and managed services like AWS API Gateway. ...

The Rise of Microservices and Service Meshes Microservices have changed how teams build software. Instead of one large app, small, focused services can be built, tested, and deployed independently. This shift boosts speed and resilience when teams grow or change direction. This approach also lets product teams ship features faster and reduce risk by isolating failures. At heart, microservices separate concerns: each service handles a clear task, communicates with lightweight APIs, and scales on demand. But more services mean more moving parts: coordinating updates, keeping data consistent, and enforcing security across many edges of the system. Teams need new patterns for data ownership, contracts, and release planning. ...

API Gateways and Service Meshes: Managing Microservices In a microservices world, traffic management is essential. API gateways and service meshes address different layers of this problem. A gateway sits at the boundary, while a service mesh operates inside the system. Together they improve security, reliability, and developer speed. What API gateways do API gateways act as a single entry point for external clients. They usually handle TLS termination, authentication, rate limiting, and request routing. They can transform requests, enforce API versions, and cache responses for common calls. If you run many public APIs, a gateway keeps things consistent and controlled. ...

API Gateways and Service Mesh Explained In modern apps, traffic flows from users into the public internet and then between many internal services. Two tools help manage this flow: API gateways and service meshes. They serve different goals, but many teams use both to improve security, reliability, and visibility. What is an API Gateway? An API gateway is the single entry point for clients. It sits at the edge and routes requests to the right service. Common duties include: ...

API Gateways and Management: Securing and Scaling APIs power modern applications. An API gateway sits in front of a group of services to route requests, translate protocols when needed, and apply policies. This setup makes access simple for clients while giving teams a single place to enforce security and governance. Security features are essential. A gateway provides TLS termination, client authentication, and token validation. It should support OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC), easy certificate management, and the ability to revoke access quickly. By centralizing policy, you reduce risk across all services. ...

API Gateways and Service Meshes In modern apps, API gateways and service meshes help manage traffic, security, and visibility. An API gateway sits at the edge, handling requests from clients and external systems. A service mesh runs inside the cluster, routing service-to-service calls with lightweight proxies. Together, they provide a robust, secure, and observable network for microservices. What they do API gateways route external requests to the right service, enforce authentication, apply rate limits, and sometimes translate protocols. They can also cache responses and shield internal services from direct exposure. Service meshes manage internal traffic between services. They enable mTLS for mutual authentication, retries, timeouts, and fine-grained traffic routing. They collect metrics, traces, and logs for better observability. How they differ Gateways operate on the north-south edge of the system, focusing on client access and external policy. Service meshes focus on east-west communication inside the cluster, providing security and reliability for internal calls. ...

Smart Cities and the Technology of Urban Living Smart cities blend data, networks, and planning to improve daily life. They use a wide range of devices—sensors, meters, cameras, and apps—to measure what happens in streets, buildings, and public spaces. The aim is to support better decisions and faster services, not to replace people. Daily life benefits include smoother transit, safer streets, and cleaner air. Real-time signals can cut waiting times and emissions. Adaptive lighting saves energy while keeping sidewalks bright. Public services like waste collection and water management become more reliable through data and prediction. ...