How to implement per-client API rate limiting using Bucket4j and Redis
A developer building OrderHub, an open-source order management system, has documented adding rate limiting to protect the API from abusive or buggy clients. The solution uses Bucket4j, a Java library implementing the token bucket algorithm, which allows short traffic bursts while capping sustained request rates. Each client is identified by an API key or IP address, and assigned its own bucket stored in Redis to ensure limits apply consistently across multiple server instances. Enforcement is handled in a servlet filter that intercepts requests before they reach any business logic, returning HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header and an RFC-7807 error body when a client exceeds its quota. The approach ensures fair access for all clients and prevents a single misbehaving caller from overwhelming the database or starving other users.
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