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Version: 2.14 (latest)

Services API

The NATS Services API provides a framework for building observable microservices with built-in discovery, health checking, and monitoring.

Overview​

NATS Services extend the request-reply pattern with:

  • Automatic service discovery
  • Health monitoring endpoints
  • Statistics collection
  • Load balancing across instances
  • Standardized response schemas

API Responses​

Info Response​

Service metadata and configuration:

  • Service name and version
  • Endpoint descriptions
  • Configuration details

Ping Response​

Health check and liveness probe:

  • Service availability status
  • Response time measurement
  • Instance identification

Stats Response​

Operational statistics:

  • Request counts and rates
  • Error tracking
  • Performance metrics
  • Resource utilization

Service Patterns​

Services follow these conventions:

  • Discovery - Services announce themselves on startup
  • Monitoring - Built-in health and statistics endpoints
  • Load Balancing - Automatic distribution via queue groups
  • Versioning - API version management support
  • Observability - Structured logging and metrics