Gateways

A gateway is a system that bridges two networks or systems and facilitates data exchange. Gateways may operate at different layers of the OSI model, performing routing, protocol translation, data format conversion, and security checks.

Network gateways connect networks with incompatible protocols or architectures. They often function as routers, firewalls, NAT devices, or proxy servers. A default gateway is the network node used to reach other networks.

Payment gateways are services that authorize and process electronic payments, interfacing between a merchant, the payment processor, and financial networks. They handle encryption, tokenization, and compliance with standards such as PCI DSS. In software architecture, an API gateway centralizes requests to microservices, handling routing, authentication, rate limiting, and analytics.

In broader terms, gateways are entry points or interfaces in computing, communications, and systems integration. Their design emphasizes reliability, security, and interoperability; performance considerations include latency and throughput.