If you have recently embarked on your software engineering journey, you’ve probably found yourself amid discussions about the eternal dilemma: monolithic or microservice architecture. Don’t worry if these tech terms seem like a foreign language; many engineers, just like you, encounter them for the first time when entering the tech industry.
But fear not, we’re here to unravel the enigma of microservice architecture and give you a high-level understanding that will leave you eager to dive deeper into this fascinating world. So, stick around, and let’s embark on this enlightening journey.
Before we explore the microservices, let’s first shed light on the Monolithic architecture.
Picture a monolith — a massive, singular structure. In the realm of software design, monolithic architecture refers to a single, colossal computing network with a solitary code base that houses all the business logic. Multiple components are intertwined to form a single-tier application with minimal reliance on other applications.
Monolithic applications offer certain advantages, such as ease of development, debugging, and deployment. However, they also come with their fair share of drawbacks:
Tight Coupling: Maintaining loose coupling between components is a challenge.
Scalability Woes: Each component in the application cannot be scaled individually.
Cumbersome Updates: Even minor code changes necessitate redeploying the entire application.
Ripple Effect: A single error in any module can bring down the entire application, raising concerns about reliability.
Now, let’s introduce the hero of our story: Microservice Architecture!
Microservice architecture is the antithesis of the monolithic approach. In microservice architecture, applications are crafted as a constellation of discrete services. Each service boasts its database connection, caters to user requests, and can communicate with other services as required.
In microservice architecture, the application is developed as a group of discrete services where each service has a schema, serves user requests, and can make calls to other services if needed.
Here’s the key: Each service performs a distinct task. These services can be deployed independently and communicate with each other through APIs, ensuring loose coupling among the services.
Now, let’s explore the benefits of this approach:
Streamlined Updates: Microservices simplify the process of rolling out updates and new features, as services can be deployed independently. This leads to faster bug fixes and development.
Team Agility: Smaller services mean smaller teams can build and maintain them, fostering agility in development.
Scalability: The ability to scale individual services independently, rather than the entire application, ensures high availability and efficient resource management.
Fault Tolerance: If a microservice becomes unavailable, it won’t bring down the entire application. Strategies like Circuit Breakers or custom solutions can handle such faults effectively.
Many well-known tech giants like Netflix, Spotify and Uber have shifted from monolithic architecture to microservice as their user base grew over time.
In a nutshell:
Microservice architecture is an assembly of self-contained services, with each service dedicated to a single business capability. These services can be built and deployed in isolation, implementing their schemas. However, before fully embracing microservices, teams should be mindful of the challenges that come with this approach.
So, there you have it — the captivating world of microservice architecture unveiled. Now, armed with this knowledge, you’re ready to explore this transformative approach further and engage in those tech debates with confidence. Happy reading!
Note: This article was originally published by me on Medium. Click [here] to read the original blog.