What is Throttling in RESTful APIs?
Throttling is a technique implemented in RESTful APIs to control the amount of incoming requests to a server within a specified timeframe. The purpose of throttling is to maintain the performance, stability, and reliability of the API by preventing any single client from overwhelming the server with excessive requests. This is particularly important in a shared environment where multiple clients might be trying to access the same resources concurrently.
Throttling can be applied at various levels, including individual user accounts, IP addresses, or globally across all users. For example, a common strategy is to limit clients to a certain number of requests per minute or hour. If a client exceeds this limit, they may receive a response indicating that they have been throttled, typically with a status code like 429 (Too Many Requests).
Implementing throttling helps to prevent abuse, such as denial-of-service attacks, while ensuring fair usage among all consumers of the API. It also encourages clients to optimize their request patterns, fostering better design practices. Various strategies exist for implementing throttling, including fixed window, sliding window, and token bucket algorithms, each with its own methodology for managing request limits effectively.