Microservice architecture handles service security and permission control through several key mechanisms:
Authentication and Authorization: Each microservice verifies the identity of clients and checks their permissions before processing requests. This is often implemented using OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, or JWT (JSON Web Tokens). For example, a user logs in via an authentication service, receives a token, and includes it in API requests to other services. The receiving services validate the token to ensure the user has the required permissions.
API Gateways: An API gateway acts as a single entry point for all client requests, enforcing security policies like rate limiting, IP whitelisting, and request validation. It can also route requests to the appropriate microservices while handling authentication centrally.
Service-to-Service Communication Security: Microservices communicate over secure channels (e.g., HTTPS/TLS) and may use mutual TLS (mTLS) for service authentication. For instance, a payment service might only accept requests from an order service if the order service presents a valid certificate.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Permissions are assigned based on user roles. For example, an admin role might have full access to a user management service, while a regular user can only view their own profile.
Audit Logging and Monitoring: Each microservice logs access attempts and actions for security auditing. Tools like centralized logging systems can track suspicious activities across services.
Example: In an e-commerce platform, the product catalog service might require users to be authenticated (via JWT) and authorized (e.g., only logged-in users can view product details). The order service might enforce RBAC, allowing only admins to modify order statuses. An API gateway handles authentication and routes requests securely.
For secure microservice deployments, Tencent Cloud offers services like Tencent Cloud Container Service for Kubernetes (TKE), which supports mTLS for secure inter-service communication, and Tencent Cloud API Gateway, which manages authentication and rate limiting. Additionally, Tencent Cloud CAM (Access Management) enables fine-grained RBAC for cloud resources.