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Microservicessystem_design~12 mins

Service-to-service authentication in Microservices - Architecture Diagram

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System Overview - Service-to-service authentication

This system enables secure communication between microservices by verifying each service's identity before allowing access. It ensures that only authorized services can call other services, protecting sensitive data and operations.

Key requirements include strong authentication, token management, and minimal latency impact.

Architecture Diagram
User
  |
  v
Load Balancer
  |
  v
API Gateway
  |
  v
+----------------+       +----------------+       +----------------+
| Service A      | <---> | Auth Service   |       | Service B      |
| (Client)      |       | (Token Issuer) |       | (Resource)     |
+----------------+       +----------------+       +----------------+
       |                          |                        |
       |                          |                        |
       +--------------------------+------------------------+
                                  |
                                  v
                            Token Store (Cache)
                                  |
                                  v
                            Database (for tokens)
Components
User
user
Initiates requests to Service A
Load Balancer
load_balancer
Distributes incoming requests evenly to API Gateway instances
API Gateway
api_gateway
Entry point for all service requests, routes to appropriate services
Service A
service
Client service that requests resources from Service B
Auth Service
authentication_service
Issues and validates tokens for service authentication
Service B
service
Resource service that requires authentication for access
Token Store (Cache)
cache
Caches valid tokens for quick validation
Database
database
Stores token data and service credentials securely
Request Flow - 13 Hops
User → Load Balancer
Load Balancer → API Gateway
Service A → Auth Service
Auth Service → Database
Auth Service → Token Store (Cache)
Auth Service → Service A
Service A → API Gateway
API Gateway → Service B
Service B → Token Store (Cache)
Service B → Database
Service B → API Gateway
API Gateway → Load Balancer
Load Balancer → User
Failure Scenario
Component Fails:Auth Service
Impact:New tokens cannot be issued, so Service A cannot authenticate to Service B. Existing tokens may still be valid if cached.
Mitigation:Deploy multiple Auth Service instances with load balancing and failover. Use token caching to allow short-term continued access.
Architecture Quiz - 3 Questions
Test your understanding
Which component is responsible for issuing authentication tokens?
AAuth Service
BAPI Gateway
CService B
DLoad Balancer
Design Principle
This architecture uses a dedicated authentication service to centralize token issuance and validation, improving security and scalability. Caching tokens reduces latency for validation, and load balancing ensures high availability and even traffic distribution.