Backend for Frontend pattern

While API gateways solve several problems, it is not a one size fits all solution. We still end up contending with the possibility of catering to multiple device types and, by extension, client applications. For example, we may need to use additional compression and caching rules with data being consumed by a mobile client, whereas a website might not need many special considerations. The more devices become capable of interacting with APIs, the more we need to ensure that we can support integrations.

Figure 11.7 shows multiple clients with one gateway:

Figure 11.7 – All client devices access the same gateway, leading to inefficient behavior for some devices

All these considerations make a good case for the Backend for Frontend (BFF) pattern. This pattern allows us to supply a service-per-device API approach. The BFF pattern allows us to acutely define our API functionality based on the experience that we hope for...