WSO2 API-M 4.1.0 - API Gateway? Choreo Connect? What's different?

Question

What exactly is their relationship? When installing API-M, are both of them installed at the same time? The functions supported by both are different, but when they work, do they work together? If not, should the user choose to install one of them?

Please explain in detail about the relationship between API Gateway and Choreo Connect.

Answer 1

In WSO2 APIM synapse gateway is used (it's the in built API gateway in WSO2 API manager). How ever you can use Choreo Connect as the Gateway with WSO2 API manager as well (as a replacement to the synapse gateway). (If you are familiar with the WSO2 Ballerina API Gateway, Choreo Connect is the new version of it.)

When it comes to the comparison of above two gateways, Choreo Connect mainly aims Cloud Native Environments. You can use Choreo Connect with or without WSO2 API manager.

Additionally Choreo Connect supports Kubernetes based and Docker-Compose based deployments.

You can use below links if you want to get more idea about Choreo Connect

Comparison between Synapse (Gateway used in the WSO2 API ) and Choreo Connect

Choreo Connect supported features

Choreo Connect Quick Start Guide

Choreo Connect with WSO2 API Manager

Choreo Connect in stand-alone mode

Answer 2

API Gateway is a synapse based gateway that comes by default with API Manager. Choreo Connect is a lightweight micro-gateway which is compatible with APIM 4.0.0 and newer versions.

You can find a detailed comparison in [1].

[1] - https://apim.docs.wso2.com/en/latest/deploy-and-publish/deploy-on-gateway/deploying-apis-in-api-gateway-vs-choreo-connect/#deploying-apis-in-api-gateway-vs-choreo-connect

Answer 3

Choreo Connect is the new name for one of our existing products - Micro-gateway. The Standard Gateway and Choreo Connect/ Micro-gateway are designed for different use cases. Standard Gateway is more suitable for VM-friendly, old-fashioned application whereas Choreo Connect designed keeping Cloud-native development in mind.

Choreo Connect is container friendly and does not require lot of processing power and memory and with its faster startup, it's the ideal solution for cloud-native applications.

Both are two different downloadable products.

The features they offer more or less similar as well.

When deciding which distribution to use, ask yourself what type of application architecture you are planning to use. If it's old-fashioned monolith type of application, Standard Gateway is more suited. If it's Microservices/ Cloud-native, then Choreo Connect is more suited.

More info on Choreo Connect - https://wso2.com/choreo/choreo-connect/