In the world of development, microservice architecture is becoming more popular because it allows you to develop complex applications in a fairly simple manner. At the same time, the microservice architecture makes it quite easy to scale any application, and this is a very relevant feature of modern applications, which makes it easier to intervene in the application code. If you are looking for a suitable architecture of a web application for your project, then this article is for you. You will learn about one of the most popular and flexible solutions.
What Are Microservices
Microservice architecture is a development approach in which applications and software products are built from different loosely coupled components (that is, services) that support independent deployment.
Components from which the product is built:
- Have different business functionality;
- “Communicate” with each other using the REST API, event streams, and message agents;
- Have their own stack of technologies, including a database and a data management model.
At the same time, the final product, that is, the application itself on microservices, has no scale restrictions. It can be complex and large, or it can be quite modest – it all depends on its tasks and intended functionality.
Microservice architecture is often compared to the established application development style of monolithic architecture. Both approaches to development have their pros and cons. However, a very important feature of a modern application is the ability to quickly apply the necessary updates. With a monolithic architecture, the application looks like a single, whole organism. Therefore, when you need to make some kind of update or change to a monolithic program, then, in fact, you need to rewrite the entire code of the program, which is a time-consuming and financially costly undertaking.
In microservices, everything is organized differently. There are many different unique modules with their own communication system between them. Sometimes one module is one separate function of the program. Therefore, when you need to update something in the program, then work is carried out with a separate module that is responsible for the updated function.
In a monolithic architecture, if you remove a certain function from an application, it will become inoperable. In a microservice architecture, when you remove a module with any application function, the application will still work stably, but without the removed function.
Microservice Architecture: Advantages And Disadvantages
Microservice architecture has many advantages, but like any other development style, it has certain disadvantages.
Some of the benefits of microservice architecture include:
- Convenient project scalability that requires less labor. Improved program security, due to the fact that each individual module is an independent element of the program. In the event of a failure or attack on any module, the rest of the program will work and be safe.
- Lack of commitment to a specific technology stack. In fact, each individual program module can be developed by different people and in different programming languages, which is almost impossible with a monolithic approach.
- Easy maintenance and understanding of the project. For example, if a new developer comes to the project, then he only needs to study the module for which he will be responsible and on which he will work. He does not need to study the entire code of the program at all.
- Reimplementation of components. Having developed an application on a microservice architecture, you can later use its individual modules in your other developments.
Among the disadvantages of this web application architecture:
- Complex distributed system. The presence of many individual modules entails additional organizational and architectural complexity. It becomes more difficult to control the various development teams, as well as the deployment of the software product.
- Complicated testing. Initially, you need to test each module separately, and then the joint functionality of all modules.
- Applications based on a microservice architecture are less productive than their counterparts on a monolithic architecture due to the presence of many databases and many longer communication paths between individual modules.
Application Development With Microservice Architecture
In order for a microservice application to work equally on a developer’s PC, in a test environment, and in production, containerization technologies are used. Containers make it easy to port microservice applications to production and help eliminate surprises during deployment.
The more microservices in the application, the more packaging containers will be required. But as their number increases, the complexity of management increases. Kubernetes technology was invented to solve this problem.
Benefits Of Kubernetes
Kubernetes opens up a lot of opportunities for companies. Here are some of the benefits:
1. Reducing time-to-market.
Kubernetes allows you to centrally manage deployed containers. For example, with its help, literally in one click, you can update a specific part of the application, or, conversely, cancel the change. This allows you to reduce the development time of digital products, release them to the market faster and improve them.
2. Accelerating the adoption of new technologies.
Using Kubernetes, you can quickly migrate applications to cloud environments and manage them equally effectively both in the provider’s cloud and on your own site. This is relevant when the application is developed locally and tested already in the virtual infrastructure. Kubernetes also makes it easier to implement machine learning (ML) technologies and work with big data (Big Data).
3. Distribution of computing resources in automatic mode.
When the load on the application grows (for example, due to marketing activities or seasonal factors), it is necessary to scale the resources. If a company uses a traditional infrastructure, you will have to buy and connect new servers. Those who work in the cloud need to request additional capacity from the provider.
With Kubernetes, this process is greatly simplified. Kubernetes can automatically scale an IT system based on current load levels and application needs. Even if your product encounters a sudden influx of user requests, it will receive additional capacity almost instantly. At the same time, when the load decreases, the amount of resources allocated to the application will also decrease, which means that you will not have to overpay for them.
Conclusion
Microservice architecture is a progressive application development method. However, this method is not suitable for all companies and not all programs. Yes, microservice architecture has a number of significant advantages over other programming styles, but it also brings certain technical difficulties. If you need help choosing an architecture for a web application, we recommend that you contact Digiteum.
