An Overview Analysis of Authentication Mechanism in Microservices-Based Software Architecture: A Discussion Paper
Chang Hoong Jack, Kwee Teck See, Lim Tong Ming, Ding Ying Hong · 2023
Microservices-based software architecture promotes scalability and flexibility by breaking down a software application into smaller modules and making it more independent and loosely coupled services compared to monolith systems. However, securing microservices in a distributed nature has become one of the challenges. Authentication is one of the most critical components that should be focused in the microservices security measures. It helps to identify that only authenticated personnel and services can access sensitive information and secure the trust between microservices. This discussion paper aims to provide an overview analysis and extensive understanding on the authentication mechanism in microservices-based software architecture. In this study, we explore different authentication mechanisms including Mutual Transport Layer Security (mTLS), Token based authentication and API Gateway authentication. This study examines the strengths and limitations of different authentication mechanisms in microservices-based software architecture. It also emphasizes the importance of authentication and the need for having a well-designed authentication mechanism to ensure the integrity and security of microservices-based software architecture is crucial.