Microservices are as small and autonomous subsystems that work together within a larger application. In the context of substantial products like Instagram or Facebook, microservices break down the overall system into manageable sub-problems. Each sub-problem is addressed by a dedicated microservice specifically designed to provide an optimal solution for that issue.
Companies increasingly adopt microservices architecture primarily to manage the growth of their codebase. As organizations expand their features, the codebase can become large and cumbersome, causing coordination challenges among teams handling a monolithic system. By utilizing microservices, teams can work independently, minimizing dependencies and reducing obstacles in the development process.
Scaling becomes more predictable with microservices, as each service can be individually scaled based on its specific load. For example, a search service may need more instances compared to an authentication service, leading to more efficient resource utilization. This flexibility allows for optimized performance and resource management in applications.
Microservices empower teams with autonomy and isolation, allowing each team to select its technology stack, networking protocols, and coding languages based on their specific requirements. This independence facilitates decision-making without impacting other teams, thereby boosting overall productivity.
Microservices enhance deployment flexibility by allowing each service to be deployed independently, which significantly boosts development velocity. This approach offers a distinct advantage over monolithic architecture, where a single team’s issues can cause delays in the entire deployment process.
Fault tolerance is a key benefit of microservices architecture. It ensures that if one microservice fails, the entire system remains operational, allowing other services to function seamlessly. This resilience helps maintain a positive user experience, even when specific features are temporarily unavailable.
Microservices streamline the upgrade process by enabling teams to enhance services and alter technology stacks independently. As long as they maintain consistent API contracts, these teams can implement changes easily, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal disruption to overall operations.
Effectively fencing microservices involves finding the right size—neither too big nor too small. The ideal approach is to decompose services by features that align with the organization’s structure. This strategy maintains each service’s manageability and independence.
