title: What is Deepstream.io
body: <p>I've been reading about <a href="https://deepstream.io/" rel="noreferrer">Deepstream</a> &amp; it seems like an awesome solution for real-time applications. I am confused however, in what Deepstream's actual role is.</p>
  
  <p>The documentation for the core features (data-sync, records, auth, permissions, events, rpc, ...) is really well written, except that it is low level. I think a through high-level explantation of what Deepstream should be used as is missing.</p>
  
  <p><strong>My question is:</strong></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Is Deepstream a full-fledged/stand-alone backend framework for any real-time based application?</li>
  <li>or is Deepstream a server platform used for directing (auth,routing,caching, load balancing) communication from microservices (and/or principal application layers) to clients?</li>
  <li>or is it something quite different?</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Would appreciate a detailed explanation of how developers should distinguish Deepstream and possibly any direction on how Deepstream should be incorporated in our applications.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks.</p>