## 5 Discussion
By serving as an integrator, the architecture facilitates the efficient exchange of data between different entities, thereby simplifying collaboration and bringing the globalization of heritage preservation one step closer to fruition. **Safety and security. ** With the growing number of documents and the corresponding increase in modeling procedures, ensuring the safety and security of these services becomes even more crucial. This is primarily because manuscript databases have become a prime target for a new breed of criminals, who not only aim for financial gain but also seek to manipulate historical records [20, 21]. Addressing this new form of criminal activity requires service providers to implement different mitigation and action measures. In this regard, the proposed architecture offers a distinct advantage through its secure data transfer, which not only includes encryption but also incorporates an additional layer of safety through service management by a dedicated entity. The client application authentication and authorization via the Identity Server results in a more secure approach in comparison to the traditional end-user authentication/authorization offered by most informational systems, as access tokens are issued for the application, which needs to be authorized to access the back-end services and not each end user. In addition to that, the very nature of the Gateway API offers a layer of security by providing a non-transparent layer between the end-user application and the back-end hosting documents, databases, trained models, etc. Furthermore, the future integration of Gateway API technologies, such as blockchain, could provide an additional safeguard against various cyberattacks. _Challenges._  
A Gateway API can provide added value to any informational system, as outlined in the previous sub-section of the discussion. However, there are significant challenges associated with its use as part of an informational system architecture, the most notable of which are the following:  
**Scalability. ** Being the central point for handling, translating, and re-directing requests and responses between a system's front end and back end, any scale-up process of a Gateway API can present a significant challenge, especially when multiple independent systems, document databases, data lakes, and end users are incorporated into the same system or significantly expanded. Therefore, any scale-up in a Gateway API needs to be performed with attention to critical parameters that may affect its compatibility with the different systems that are being integrated or expanded. Correct design, as well as configuration and management flexibility, are key points for avoiding scalability-related challenges when designing a Gateway API. **Performance. ** Performance issues in Gateway APIs are often associated with latency in handling multiple simultaneous requests, which is closely associated with challenges related to the system's scalability. In case of a significant system scale-up, any Gateway API may experience latency in accomplishing requests and service discovery issues, such as keeping track of multiple back-end services and re-directing the requests to it effectively. In many cases, these can lead to the Gateway API becoming a bottleneck for the entire system. The Gateway API design and the network infrastructure that supports it play an important role in tackling performance-related challenges. Monitoring its performance and keeping logs can also contribute to performance issues detection and mitigation. **Security**. Being the center of the information system that it is part of, any Gateway API can become a single point of failure for the entire system and a prime target for attacks. In case the Gateway API is attacked, the entire system that it is part of can collapse.