REST-based Server

A REST-based Server is a network server that implements REST architectural style to provide stateless services through HTTP endpoints (for handling resource-oriented requests).

• AKA: RESTful Server, REST API Server, HTTP Resource Server.
• Context:
  • It can handle HTTP Method through HTTP protocol:
    • It can process GET Request for resource retrieval.
    • It can manage POST Request for resource creation.
    • It can support PUT Request for resource update.
    • It can execute DELETE Request for resource removal.
    • It can handle PATCH Request for partial update.
  • It can typically provide Resource Representation through data formats:
    • It can serve JSON Response for structured data.
    • It can return XML Response for legacy system.
    • It can provide HTML Response for web browser.
  • It can implement REST Constraints through architectural patterns:
    • It can maintain Stateless Communication through request independence.
    • It can enable Uniform Interface through standard HTTP methods.
    • It can support Resource Identification through URI structure.
    • It can implement Self-descriptive Message through HTTP headers.
  • ...
  • It can often manage Authentication through HTTP authentication.
  • It can often implement Authorization through access control.
  • It can often support Caching through HTTP cache headers.
  • It can often handle Rate Limiting through request throttling.
  • It can often provide API Documentation through OpenAPI specification.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Simple REST Server to being an Enterprise REST Server, depending on its scalability requirements.
  • It can range from being a Basic HTTP Endpoint to being a Complex Resource Gateway, depending on its architectural complexity.
  • ...
  • It can integrate with Database System for data persistence.
  • It can connect to Cache System for response caching.
  • It can support Monitoring System for performance tracking.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Public REST API Servers, such as:
    • Social Media APIs, such as:
      • Twitter REST API for tweet management.
      • Facebook Graph API for social graph access.
    • Payment APIs, such as:
      • Stripe REST API for payment processing.
      • PayPal REST API for transaction handling.
    • Cloud Service APIs, such as:
      • AWS REST API for cloud resource management.
      • Google Cloud API for cloud service access.
  • Framework Implementations, such as:
    • Java REST Servers, such as:
      • Spring REST Server for enterprise application.
      • JAX-RS Server for java web service.
    • Python REST Servers, such as:
      • Django REST Server for web application.
      • Flask REST Server for lightweight service.
    • Node.js REST Servers, such as:
      • Express REST Server for javascript backend.
      • Fastify REST Server for high performance service.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • GraphQL Server, which uses single endpoint instead of multiple resource endpoints.
  • SOAP Server, which requires XML message instead of flexible representation.
  • gRPC Server, which uses protocol buffer instead of HTTP method.
  • WebSocket Server, which maintains persistent connection instead of stateless communication.
  • Message Queue Server, which implements message broker pattern instead of request-response pattern.
• See: REST Architecture, HTTP Protocol, Resource Oriented Architecture, API Gateway, Web Service, Microservice Architecture.

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