Spring Cloud vs WSO2 API manager

Question

With the goal of building multiple microservices that are fault tolerant and resilient:

Microservices are currently being built using Spring Boot

1. What are the key differences between WSO2 API Manager and Spring Cloud ?

2. Using different components of Spring Cloud can one build a comparable solution akin to WSO2 API manager or general API manger ? If so what would be the components of Spring Cloud one could use ?

3. Can one mix and match components of Spring Cloud with WSO2 API manager ? How compatible is WSO2 API manager with Spring Cloud ?

For example: Use the load balancer(Ribbon) and Service Discovery(Eureka) of Spring Cloud and then also use Security and the analytic components of WS02.

Answer 1

Spring cloud offers a technical gateway that will allow you to have redundant (micro)services instances, loadbalancing, centralized config using ServerConfig, etc. It is very good at it.

API Manager offers you another Gateway that can be combined with springCloud One if needed.

The APIM Gateway offers you security management : users or applications that will use your services (as an API) will have to subscribe to it. In return it allows you to offer Oauth2 security to users. And more: you will have usage data and metrics according to each users (either end users or applications). The API Manager layer is needed only if you have to manage the usage of your services.

hence maybe not all of your microservices will be exposed as secured and managed API. Only the ones for witch you are interested to have such a management tool. For instance: keep tracks of API users, revoke usage permission of one specific user, add throttling rules to some or all users (for instance important VIP users are allowed 2000TPS and fremium users are allowed 200TPS only), etc.

The two gateway solutions are working well together (when needed).

I hope it helps. Cyril