In some cases, services need to exchange data with each other. This exchange can be either synchronous or asynchronous and can be implemented in both cases via the REST interfaces of services.
Synchronous and asynchronous communication differ in terms of temporal coordination.
In synchronous communication, the exchange takes place in real time. Asynchronous communication is delayed, as the participants do not need to be available at the same time.
In terms of communication between services, this can be summarized as follows:
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Asynchronous communication involves one service sending data to another. The sender does not initially know when the recipient will process the data, and does not wait for feedback.
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Synchronous communication between services involves data being exchanged between them. One service sends data to another. The sender waits until the recipient has processed the data.