Building Resilient APIs with Node.js

In a microservices architecture, failure is not an anomaly; it's an expectation.

1. Rate Limiting

Never expose an API without rate limiting. It protects you from DDOS attacks and runaway scripts.

2. Graceful Shutdowns

When a container receives a SIGTERM, it should stop accepting new connections but finish processing existing ones.

process.on('SIGTERM', () => {
  console.log('SIGTERM received');
  server.close(() => {
    console.log('Process terminated');
  });
});

3. Circuit Breakers

If a downstream service is failing, fail fast. Don't keep hammering it. Implement a circuit breaker pattern to allow the failing service time to recover.