| --- |
| title: Architecture |
| keywords: |
| - API Gateway |
| - Apache APISIX |
| - APISIX architecture |
| description: Architecture of Apache APISIX—the Cloud Native API Gateway. |
| --- |
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| |
| APISIX is built on top of Nginx and [ngx_lua](https://github.com/openresty/lua-nginx-module) leveraging the power offered by LuaJIT. See [Why Apache APISIX chose Nginx and Lua to build API Gateway?](https://apisix.apache.org/blog/2021/08/25/why-apache-apisix-chose-nginx-and-lua/). |
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|  |
| |
| APISIX has two main parts: |
| |
| 1. APISIX core, Lua plugin, multi-language Plugin runtime, and the WASM plugin runtime. |
| 2. Built-in Plugins that adds features for observability, security, traffic control, etc. |
| |
| The APISIX core handles the important functions like matching Routes, load balancing, service discovery, configuration management, and provides a management API. It also includes APISIX Plugin runtime supporting Lua and multilingual Plugins (Go, Java , Python, JavaScript, etc) including the experimental WASM Plugin runtime. |
| |
| APISIX also has a set of [built-in Plugins](https://apisix.apache.org/docs/apisix/plugins/batch-requests) that adds features like authentication, security, observability, etc. They are written in Lua. |
| |
| ## Request handling process |
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| The diagram below shows how APISIX handles an incoming request and applies corresponding Plugins: |
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|  |
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| ## Plugin hierarchy |
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| The chart below shows the order in which different types of Plugin are applied to a request: |
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|  |
