What is the difference between a Serverless HTTP server and an API gateway?

A Serverless HTTP server and an API gateway are both components used in cloud-native architectures, but they serve different purposes:

Serverless HTTP Server

A Serverless HTTP server is a type of compute service where the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure. Developers write and deploy code without worrying about the server configuration, scaling, or maintenance. The serverless platform automatically allocates resources based on the incoming request load.

Example:
Imagine you have a simple web application written in Node.js that needs to handle HTTP requests. With a serverless HTTP server like AWS Lambda or Tencent Cloud's Serverless Cloud Function, you can deploy your code directly. The platform will handle the scaling, patching of the underlying infrastructure, and only charge you for the compute time used.

API Gateway

An API gateway acts as a single entry point for multiple client applications to access and interact with various backend services, including databases, microservices, and serverless functions. It provides features like request routing, authentication, rate limiting, and caching to manage and secure the API endpoints.

Example:
Consider a scenario where you have multiple microservices and serverless functions that need to be accessed by various clients (web, mobile, etc.). An API gateway like Tencent Cloud's API Gateway can be used to route requests to the appropriate backend service based on the URL path or HTTP method. It can also handle authentication, enforce usage limits, and cache responses to improve performance.

Key Differences

• Purpose: Serverless HTTP servers are for executing application code, while API gateways manage and route API requests.
• Functionality: Serverless HTTP servers focus on running code in response to events, whereas API gateways provide a broader set of features for managing API interactions.
• Usage: Serverless HTTP servers are used for deploying individual functions or applications, while API gateways are used to orchestrate and manage multiple backend services.

In a typical cloud-native architecture, you might use a serverless HTTP server to deploy your application logic and an API gateway to manage and secure the API endpoints that clients interact with. For instance, you could deploy your Node.js application using Tencent Cloud's Serverless Cloud Function and use Tencent Cloud's API Gateway to manage the API endpoints for your application.