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When to use Microservices Architecture for Application Development
Sundar Narasimhan
July 26, 2023

When to use Microservices Architecture for Application Development

Microservices are also known as microservice architecture in which a large application is built from a set of services. It is an approach to developing software systems. Each service performs a unique business function, while those services are connected via a well-defined interface. 

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Before microservices, applications were developed with a monolithic architecture. It was always microservices vs monolithic architecture. But, many companies moved from the traditional approach to the modern microservices architecture. 

While this approach still works well for smaller and easy projects; however, Microservices architecture is suitable for bigger and more complex application development. It separates functionality and business operations into micro and more manageable components. Each service may have its database and interacts with other services via API endpoints.

This blog explores when to use Microservices Architecture, its challenges, its benefits to organizations, and the constraints around its implementation.

When to Use Microservices Architecture? 

Microservices Architecture is suitable in the following scenarios:

1. Complex and Scalable Applications:

When developing complex applications with multiple modules or functionalities that need to scale independently, Microservices Architecture offers flexibility. It allows different microservices to be developed, deployed, and scaled individually based on their specific needs. 

2. Polyglot Development:

If an organization prefers to use different programming languages or frameworks for different parts of an application, Microservices Architecture can accommodate this polyglot development approach. Each microservice can be developed using the most appropriate microservices technology stack.

3. Rapid Innovation and Deployment:

Microservices Architecture supports agile development practices, enabling organizations to quickly innovate, iterate, and deploy new features or updates. The independent nature of microservices facilitates faster development cycles and reduces the risk of impacting the entire application during updates.

Challenges around Microservices Architecture:

While Microservices Architecture offers numerous benefits, it also presents some challenges:

1. Increased Complexity:

Breaking down an application into smaller microservices introduces additional complexity regarding inter-service communication, data consistency, and service orchestration. Proper design, implementation, and management strategies are crucial to address this complexity effectively.

2. Distributed System Management:

As microservices are distributed across different systems and environments, managing and monitoring the entire system can be challenging. Organizations need to invest in robust monitoring and management tools to ensure visibility and stability.

3. Operational Overhead:

With multiple services to deploy, monitor and scale, there is an increased operational overhead. Organizations must invest in automated deployment and management processes to handle the complexity efficiently.

Microservices Architecture Benefits to the Organization:

Here are the microservices benefits organizations can use:

1. Scalability and Agility:

Microservices allow for the independent scaling of services, enabling organizations to respond to changing demands quickly, and offering agility in microservices. Scalability in microservices offers the flexibility to scale only the required services, ensuring optimal resource utilization.

2. Enhanced Resilience and Fault Isolation:

In a microservices environment, if one service fails, it doesn’t bring down the entire system. The fault is isolated, and the rest of the services can continue to function, improving overall system resilience.

3. Technology Flexibility:

Microservices Architecture allows organizations to adopt the most suitable technology stack for each service. It promotes innovation and flexibility by leveraging the strengths of various technologies and frameworks.

Constraints around Implementing Microservices Architecture:

Implementing Microservices Architecture may come with certain constraints:

1. Development and Maintenance Overhead:

Breaking down an application into multiple Microservices designs requires additional effort in development, testing, and deployment. Organizations must carefully consider the trade-off between the benefits and the increased development and maintenance overhead.

2. Communication Complexity:

Microservices rely heavily on inter-service communication, which introduces additional complexity. Organizations must design robust communication protocols and mechanisms to effectively handle service interactions.

3. Organizational Impact:

Adopting Microservices Architecture often requires a shift in organizational structure and processes. It may involve changes in team composition, collaboration patterns, and DevOps practices to align with the microservices paradigm.

Conclusion

Microservices Architecture offers numerous benefits, but evaluating its suitability for your application development needs is essential. It is well-suited for complex and scalable applications, polyglot development requirements, and scenarios that demand rapid innovation and deployment. However, organizations should be aware of the challenges surrounding increased complexity, distributed system management, and operational overhead. By understanding the constraints and properly addressing them, organizations can harness the benefits of Microservices Architecture to build robust, scalable, and agile applications.

At Hurix, our robust technical team designs and develops applications using microservices that assure the success of the project in terms of scalability and the use of the latest technologies.

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