We asked companies why they have adopted more than one API gateway and they gave us several very good reasons — from security, to governance, to agility. Here are the six we heard the most:
Top 6 Reasons Companies Adopt Multiple API Gateways
No. 1: External vs. internal traffic
Having separate API gateways enables you to enforce different security standards and protocols for external and internal users. You can also save money on internal API traffic. Or, you might need to add a new gateway to give customers and partners secure and simple access to complex legacy systems.
No. 2: On-premises vs. cloud deployment
Companies that opt for a hybrid architecture (keeping some applications on-premises while moving others to the cloud) usually require multiple API gateways.
No. 3: Central vs. local governance
Enterprises, especially large multinationals, often have multiple gateways because different business units or geographies have different needs and requirements.
No. 4: Old vs. new functionality
When an enterprise, or even a single business unit, outgrows the security, traffic management, or monitoring capabilities of an existing gateway, they often add another to close the functionality gap.
No. 5: Development vs. testing vs. staging vs. production environment
Most organizations we surveyed have multiple API gateways for different stages of the API lifecycle to avoid confusion about which endpoint to use at which time in which environment.
No. 6: Microservices vs. monoliths
Modern microservices architectures typically result in API traffic running in multiple service meshes and Kubernetes-based clouds (from on-premises to AWS, Google, and Azure).
