When to use Microservices?

Microservices are a software architecture design pattern in which a large application is built as a collection of small, independent services that communicate with each other over well-defined interfaces, typically using APIs. This approach to software development has become increasingly popular in recent years because it offers several key benefits over traditional, monolithic architecture.

Advantages #

One of the main advantages of microservices is that they are modular and highly scalable. Because each microservice is a separate and independent component, it can be developed, tested, and deployed independently of the other services. This allows for a high degree of flexibility and agility, making it easier to add new features, make changes, and deploy updates.

Another benefit of microservices is that they are resilient and fault-tolerant. If one microservice fails, it can be restarted or replaced without affecting the overall functionality of the application. This makes it easier to manage and maintain large, complex applications.

Challenges #

One of the main challenges of using microservices is that they require a high degree of coordination and communication between the different services. Each service must be carefully designed and implemented to ensure that it can communicate with the other services in the application, and that it adheres to the overall architecture of the application. This can require a significant amount of planning and design work upfront.

In addition, microservices can be complex to manage and maintain, especially in large applications with many different services. Since each service is independent, it must be managed and deployed independently of the others, which can require a significant amount of infrastructure and tooling.

Verdict: for complex applications with large team #

In general, microservices are a good choice for applications that require a large team and expected to grow and evolve over time, and for applications that require a high degree of scalability and resilience.

^{Cover Image by Kristijan Arsov}