Run Apollo Server Close to Your Users

Summary

Run Apollo Server Close to Your Users presents an edge deployment pattern for GraphQL APIs. The post argues that, much like serving JavaScript and markup from a CDN, placing API servers and an application cache near users can improve application speed. Its approach combines Fly.io’s platform for running API servers close to users with a global Redis cache service, then uses Apollo Server’s cache capabilities and first-class Redis support. A demo GraphQL API built from the Open Library REST API accompanies the guide, with both a guide and source code available. The author frames the design through a newly adopted GraphQL perspective, emphasizing static typing and describing the resulting setup as CDN-like infrastructure for an API.

Takeaways

1. 1

   The proposed architecture treats an edge GraphQL API similarly to CDN-delivered application content by locating both servers and cache near users.

2. 2

   Apollo Server is presented as a fit for the setup because it has cache capabilities and first-class Redis support.

3. 3

   The demonstration uses a GraphQL API based on the Open Library REST API, with a guide and source code provided.