Apollo Federation
Apollo Federation is a distributed GraphQL architecture that enables multiple GraphQL services (called subgraphs) to be combined into a single, unified GraphQL API (called a supergraph). It allows teams to independently develop and deploy GraphQL schemas while maintaining a cohesive API for clients. This approach supports microservices architectures by federating data across different services without requiring a monolithic GraphQL server.
Developers should use Apollo Federation when building large-scale applications with multiple teams or services that need to expose a unified GraphQL API. It is ideal for microservices environments where different services own specific data domains, as it enables schema composition and query planning across services. Use cases include e-commerce platforms with separate services for products, orders, and users, or enterprise applications with modular backend systems.