Statelessness
Last updated
Last updated
In a stateless system, each request from the client must contain all the information the server needs to fulfill that request. The server does not store any state of the client's session. This is a crucial principle of RESTful APIs. Characteristics include:
No Session Memory: The server remembers nothing about the user once the transaction ends. Each request is independent.
Scalability: Stateless systems are generally more scalable because the server doesn't need to maintain session information. Any server can handle any request.
Simplicity and Reliability: The stateless nature makes the system simpler and more reliable, as there's less information to manage and synchronize across systems.
Example: An API where each request contains an authentication token and all necessary data, allowing any server instance to handle any request.
In this diagram:
Request 1: The client sends a request to the load balancer.
Load Balancer to Server 1: The load balancer forwards Request 1 to Server 1.
Response from Server 1: Server 1 processes the request and sends a response back to the client.
Request 2: The client sends another request to the load balancer.
Load Balancer to Server 2: This time, the load balancer forwards Request 2 to Server 2.
Response from Server 2: Server 2 processes the request and responds to the client.
Statelessness: Each request is independent and does not rely on previous interactions. Different servers can handle other requests without needing a shared session state.
Common in stateless architectures, this method involves passing a token for authentication with each request instead of relying on server-stored session data. JWT (JSON Web Tokens) is a popular example.
