Spring Boot 3 Bucket4j-RateLimiter with Hazelcast distributed cache

An example of a RESTful WebServer developed using Spring & SpringBoot to implement rate limiter with hazelcast cache.

This example explained about spring boot3 with hazelcast cache.

Why HTTP Caching Matters for APIs?

Caching is reduce the number of calls made to your endpoint and also improve the latency of requests to your API.

Performance improvement
Reduced server load
Bandwidth optimization
Scalability
Handling traffic spikes

When should using Cache for APIs?

Using cache when your data is not volatile real-time data.

Why should using rate limiter on API?

Rate limiting, also known as API rate limiting, is a crucial practice for ensuring the stability, security, and efficient operation of APIs. Let’s explore why it’s essential:

Performance Optimization:
- Efficient Resource Utilization: Without rate limiting, an API could be bombarded with an excessive number of requests, leading to slow performance and resource exhaustion.
- Predictable Behavior: By enforcing limits on the number of requests, you ensure that your API can handle traffic without becoming overwhelmed.
Security Enhancement:
- Mitigating DoS Attacks: Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks can flood an API with unlimited requests, causing server overload. Rate limiting helps prevent such attacks by throttling excessive requests.
- Protecting Backend Systems: Limiting the number of requests shields your backend systems from unnecessary strain.
Scalability:
- Unexpected Popularity: If your API suddenly gains popularity, there may be unexpected spikes in traffic. Rate limiting helps manage these surges, preventing severe lag times.
- Application Rate Limiting: By controlling the quantity of data clients can consume, you ensure scalability even during high-demand periods.
Avoiding Misuse:
- Accidental Overuse: Rate limiting prevents unintentional misuse of your API. Users might inadvertently send too many requests, affecting system stability.
- Security Risks: Unrestricted access can lead to security vulnerabilities or data loss.

Requirements

The fully fledged server uses the following:

Spring Framework
SpringBoot
Spring cache
Hazelcast
Bucket4j

Dependencies

There are a number of third-party dependencies used in the project. Browse the Maven pom.xml file for details of libraries and versions used.

<dependencies>
	<dependency>
		<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
		<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
	</dependency>
	<dependency>
		<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
		<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-actuator</artifactId>
	</dependency>
	<dependency>
		<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
		<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-cache</artifactId>
	</dependency>

	<dependency>
		<groupId>org.projectlombok</groupId>
		<artifactId>lombok</artifactId>
		<optional>true</optional>
	</dependency>

	<dependency>
		<groupId>com.bucket4j</groupId>
		<artifactId>bucket4j-core</artifactId>
		<version>8.10.1</version>
	</dependency>
	<dependency>
		<groupId>com.bucket4j</groupId>
		<artifactId>bucket4j-hazelcast</artifactId>
		<version>8.10.1</version>
	</dependency>
	<!-- Hazelcast -->
	<dependency>
		<groupId>com.hazelcast</groupId>
		<artifactId>hazelcast</artifactId>
	</dependency>
	<dependency>
		<groupId>com.hazelcast</groupId>
		<artifactId>hazelcast-spring</artifactId>
		<version>5.3.6</version>
	</dependency>
	<dependency>
		<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
		<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-tomcat</artifactId>
	</dependency>
	<dependency>
		<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
		<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
		<scope>test</scope>
	</dependency>
</dependencies>

Building the project

You will need:

Java JDK 17 or higher
Maven 3.5.1 or higher
Tomcat 10.1

Clone the project and use Maven to build the server

$ mvn clean install

Tra22 / RateLimiter-Hazelcast