Description: A rate limiter is a tool that restricts the number of requests a user can make to a server within a specific time frame. Its primary function is to protect server resources and ensure optimal performance by preventing a single user or group of users from excessively consuming available resources. This technique is especially relevant in environments handling large volumes of traffic, such as web applications, APIs, and cloud services. Rate limiters can be implemented at various levels, including application and network levels, and typically use algorithms to define specific limits, such as the number of requests allowed per minute or hour. Additionally, they may include response mechanisms, such as returning an error code or implementing a delay in responses, to manage requests that exceed established limits. In the context of protection against DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, rate limiters are crucial as they help mitigate the impact of these attacks by controlling the flow of traffic to the server. Rate limiters can also be used in various other systems to manage the amount of data or requests being processed, ensuring that resources are not overloaded.
