dgs-federation-example
A demonstration of building federated GraphQL services using Netflix's DGS framework with Apollo Federation.
What is dgs-federation-example?
Netflix/dgs-federation-example is a demonstration project that shows how to build federated GraphQL services using Netflix's DGS framework with Apollo Federation. It provides a working example of decomposing a GraphQL schema across multiple microservices (one for shows data, another for reviews) that are combined through a federated gateway. This solves the problem of scaling GraphQL APIs across teams while maintaining a unified interface for clients.
Backend developers and architects implementing GraphQL federation in Java/Kotlin ecosystems, particularly those using Netflix's DGS framework who need practical examples of federated service patterns.
Developers choose this example because it provides a complete, runnable reference implementation from Netflix themselves, demonstrating real-world federation patterns with their DGS framework. It shows how to properly structure federated services with clear separation of concerns between different domains (shows vs reviews).
Overview
This project is a practical example of implementing GraphQL federation using Netflix's Domain Graph Service (DGS) framework alongside Apollo Federation Server. It illustrates how to decompose a GraphQL schema across multiple microservices, enabling teams to independently develop and deploy their GraphQL services while maintaining a unified API for clients.
Key Features
- Federated Schema Composition — Combines GraphQL types from separate services (
shows-dgsandreviews-dgs) into a single federated graph. - Multi-language Services — Demonstrates DGS usage with both Kotlin and Java, showcasing framework flexibility.
- Apollo Federation Gateway — Uses Apollo Server as the federated gateway to route queries to the appropriate services.
- Independent Service Development — Each service (shows, reviews) is a standalone Gradle project that can be developed and run independently.
Architecture
The example consists of three components: a Kotlin-based shows-dgs service providing core Show data, a Java-based reviews-dgs service extending the Show type with reviews, and an apollo-gateway Node.js service that federates the schemas and serves as the entry point for client queries.
Philosophy
The project follows a microservices-based approach to GraphQL, promoting separation of concerns and team autonomy while maintaining a cohesive API through federation.
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