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6/9/2023 | 6 Minute Read
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Application programming interfaces (APIs) are crucial in connecting various software applications, enabling data exchange, and building complex software systems. Selecting the right API architecture style is crucial for developing scalable, flexible, and maintainable software platforms. In this blog, we will walk through different API architecture styles and patterns, and techniques.
There are various API architecture styles that are widely used: RESTful, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, and Webhook.
RESTful API architecture is a popular and widely used approach to designing APIs for web-based applications. It stands for Representational State Transfer and is based on the HTTP protocol.
Benefits of RESTful API architecture
When to use RESTful API architecture
RESTful architecture is a defacto standard way for simple operations. This provides a simplified and standardized way to perform these operations. RESTful architecture works as well for stateless applications, where each request has all the required information to process the request.
GraphQL is an API query language designed to allow clients to pick and choose and request the data which is needed.
Benefits of GraphQL
When to use GraphQL
GraphQL is ideal for applications with complex data requirements, where clients need to fetch data from multiple resources and need to access nested data structures along with filtering, sorting, and picking and choosing fields they need.
It also proves to be a practical solution for applications with APIs that undergo frequent changes, where adding or removing fields can disrupt client applications. The schema and type system offered by GraphQL facilitate the evolution of an API without causing disruptions to clients, simplifying the process of maintaining backward compatibility.
gRPC is an advanced, high-performance architecture designed by Google for building large-scale distributed applications. It leverages Protocol Buffers (Protobuf) for efficient serialization and communication. Protobuf is a compact messaging format that enables fast delivery of responses.
Moreover, it enhances message transmission speed between systems by performing the marshaling of message packets, effectively packing parameters and remote functions into binary message packets before sending them over the network.
Benefits of gRPC
When to use gRPC
gRPC is the preferred option for developing lightweight microservice applications because it reduces latency and enables faster data transmission. It is particularly well-suited for real-time message delivery in microservices prioritizing efficient and high-speed message serialization. gRPC is especially valuable when connecting systems that rely on lightweight messaging, operate in low-power networks, and prioritize overall efficiency.
WebSocket enables bidirectional, real-time communication between servers and clients in web applications. Unlike traditional HTTP, both the client and server can initiate requests in WebSocket.
Benefits of WebSocket
When to use WebSocket
WebSocket is a great choice for event-driven architectures from both client and server perspectives. It removes the limitations of the traditional HTTP lifecycle.
Webhooks allow applications to notify clients when data is available. It enables the server to send information to clients in the standard HTTP protocol.
Benefits of Webhooks
When to use Webhooks
Webhooks are also a great choice for event-driven architectures, where certain events trigger specific actions. In cases where it makes sense for the server to notify the client, webhooks are the best choice.
Choosing the right API architecture style is crucial to address a specific problem. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work when designing a platform, as it may require a combination of different patterns to achieve the desired goals.
REST is the cornerstone of ConnectWise Asio API architecture because almost all services use that as their public-facing API. A key concept of a microservice architecture is that a service does not allow other services direct database access since that introduces a tight coupling between those services. Due to REST being the most common and easily understood standard and having comprehensive tooling such as OpenAPI (Swagger), almost all services, internal and external, have a REST interface.
In a microservice architecture, GraphQL within Asio addresses two key challenges. Firstly, it enables efficient retrieval of data from multiple sources. Secondly, it facilitates the seamless integration or "stitching" of this data, particularly when considering client browser UI or mobile applications.
It also allows rapid UI development since the UI team is no longer dependent on back-end changes to query data in new ways. Asio operates at scale, with tens of thousands of partners worldwide performing millions of requests every day. gRPC is the tool that allows Asio internal services to communicate efficiently in critical hot spots.
WebSockets in Asio allow UI push notifications, so partners are notified in real-time of events without having to wait for a long-running service to respond. Webhooks, on the other hand, allow safe public third-party access to Asio event streams while still allowing us to implement security and throttling around that access point. Webhooks also help with reliability since integrations no longer have to constantly poll an API to detect a change.