Ocelot vs Zeebe: What are the differences?

Introduction

Ocelot and Zeebe are two different technologies used for different purposes. Ocelot is an API Gateway while Zeebe is a workflow engine. Despite their differences, both technologies offer unique features and benefits to their users. Here are the key differences between Ocelot and Zeebe:

1. Architecture: Ocelot is based on a microservices architecture, making it highly scalable and flexible for handling large volumes of API traffic. On the other hand, Zeebe adopts a distributed workflow engine architecture, allowing users to define complex workflows and orchestrate tasks across multiple services.

2. Functionality: Ocelot primarily focuses on API management tasks such as authentication, rate limiting, and routing. It provides a centralized gateway for managing API requests and enables users to implement various security and traffic control mechanisms. In contrast, Zeebe is designed specifically for workflow automation and allows users to model, execute, and monitor business processes using BPMN 2.0 standards.

3. Scalability: Ocelot handles API requests through load balancing and routing mechanisms, making it highly scalable. It can distribute incoming requests among multiple instances of microservices, ensuring efficient resource utilization. Zeebe, on the other hand, offers horizontal scalability by distributing workflow tasks across multiple worker instances, enabling efficient execution of complex and distributed workflows.

4. Visibility and Monitoring: Ocelot provides built-in monitoring capabilities, allowing users to track API usage, performance metrics, and error rates. It offers features like logging and metrics collection for better visibility into API traffic. Zeebe focuses on workflow monitoring and provides visualizations and dashboards to track the progress and performance of workflows.

5. Extensibility and Customization: Ocelot supports custom middleware and plugins, allowing users to extend its functionality and implement custom logic for handling API requests. It offers a variety of options for integrating with different authentication providers and backend services. Zeebe, on the other hand, offers extensibility through worker components, enabling users to add custom task handlers and integrate with external systems within their workflows.

6. Use Cases: Ocelot is commonly used in microservices architectures to manage and secure API traffic between services. It is suitable for scenarios where API gateway functionalities such as authentication, authorization, and rate limiting are required. Zeebe, on the other hand, is primarily used for workflow automation in business process management scenarios. It is ideal for industries where complex workflows and orchestration of tasks are essential, such as finance, logistics, and telecommunications.

In summary, Ocelot and Zeebe offer distinct capabilities in the domain of API management and workflow automation, respectively. Ocelot is an API Gateway that handles API request management, while Zeebe focuses on workflow execution and orchestration. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of the project, with Ocelot being a suitable choice for API management tasks, and Zeebe for complex workflow automation scenarios.