Resilience4jRateLimiter

Resilience4jRateLimiter is a component of the Resilience4j library, a fault tolerance toolkit for Java applications. It specifically addresses the need for rate limiting, which is a mechanism for controlling the number of requests a service can handle within a given time period. This helps prevent overload and ensures the stability and availability of applications.

The Resilience4jRateLimiter provides a flexible and configurable way to implement rate limiting strategies. It supports various approaches to rate limiting, such as token bucket and leaky bucket algorithms. Users can define specific limits, such as the maximum number of calls per second or per minute, and the library handles the enforcement of these limits.

When a request arrives, the RateLimiter checks if the current rate exceeds the defined limit. If it does, the request can be rejected, queued, or delayed, depending on the configured behavior. This prevents cascading failures and protects downstream services from being overwhelmed.

Key features include the ability to define different rate limiters for different parts of an application, integration with other Resilience4j modules like Circuit Breaker and Retry, and support for reactive programming models. It aims to be lightweight and easy to integrate into existing Java applications, offering a robust solution for managing request rates and enhancing application resilience.