In the world of software development, microservices architecture has become an increasingly popular approach for building applications.
At its core, microservices architecture is a software development method that involves breaking down large monolithic applications into smaller services, each with its architecture and functionality.
Adopting microservices architecture can help you simplify software systems that meet the demands of the latest technology.
One survey showed that the majority of participants (74%) claim that their teams are in charge of the build, test, deploy, and maintenance phases of the software lifecycle. Those who own the lifecycle succeed 18% more frequently than those who don't.
So, what benefits does this architectural design offer to software development?
We've gathered information on the definition of microservices architecture and its benefits for you. Let’s explore!
What is Microservices Architecture?
A microservices architecture is an application architecture in which the application is created as a group of services. It offers a framework for developing, deploying and maintaining microservices architectural diagrams and services.
Microservices are frequently used to speed up the development of applications. Java-based microservice architectures, particularly Spring Boot-based ones, are widely used.
It's also popular when comparing service-oriented design with microservices.
What are the Benefits of Microservices?
1. Scale the applications
Microservices Architecture enables your applications to be more efficient. Breaking down the type of monolithic applications into smaller ones, so it is easier to add or remove resources as needed. So, you can save the cost for your business.
For example, when Amazon was building their e-commerce platform, it found that using microservices architecture helped them to scale its system to handle peak traffic.
Credits: AWS by Amazon
2. Agility in software development
Microservices Architecture can improve agility in software development. Your teams can work on independent services without affecting the rest of the system.
So, you can do the software prototyping, integration and delivery (CI/CD), and automated testing. If there is a change to your applications, your developers can make changes more quickly.
For example, when Spotify was looking to improve its music recommendation system, it used microservices architecture to deploy new algorithms without disrupting the entire system.
Credits: OpenGenus
3. Flexibility in software systems
Microservices architecture can lead to flexibility in software systems. By doing so, developers can build services with different technologies and programming languages. It would be easier to make changes.
For example, when Netflix was building their platform, it used microservices architecture to develop a flexible system that could handle the complexities of streaming video to millions of users.
Credits: Cao Duc Nguyen
4. Better Data Security and Compliance
Microservices architecture provides better data security and compliance compared to monolithic architecture.
With microservices, each service can be designed with its security measures. It also helps identify security vulnerabilities.
One example of the benefits of microservices for data security and compliance can be seen in the financial services industry. Capital One, one of the largest credit card companies in the world, has been using Microservices Architecture to improve its data security and compliance.
Further, companies can easily comply with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS.
5. Applications resilience
With microservices, if one service fails, it does not necessarily affect the entire system. Other services can continue to operate, so it enhances the application's resilience.
One example of the benefits of microservices for application resilience can be seen in the airline industry. Airlines use complex software systems to manage their operations, and downtime can be costly in terms of lost revenue and customer dissatisfaction.
6. Cost-Effectiveness
Microservices Architecture can help businesses save on development and maintenance costs. Since microservices can be developed independently, there is less need for extensive maintenance of a monolithic system.
Thus, it allows businesses to use the resources more efficiently. For example, when the ride-sharing company Lyft was looking to improve their platform, it used microservices architecture to create a more cost-effective and efficient system that could handle millions of rides every day.
7. Easier maintenance and updates
Microservices Architecture makes developers maintain and update applications easier.
For example, the e-commerce platform, Etsy improves its search functionality, and microservices architecture makes updates more quickly and efficiently.
Credits: InfoQ
8. Improved fault isolation and faster troubleshooting
Microservices Architecture makes it easier to isolate faults and troubleshoot issues. Hence, you can do faster resolution of issues and less downtime.
For example, when the payment processing company Stripe was looking to improve its reliability and reduce downtime, it used microservices architecture to isolate faults and quickly troubleshoot issues.
How to get started with microservices architecture?
If you are thinking about getting started with microservices architecture, you're not alone. Today, businesses are adopting this approach to develop their applications. Here are the steps you can take to get started with microservices architecture:
- Understand the basics: You can familiarise yourself with the basic concepts of microservices, including service-oriented design, decoupling, and modularity.
- Identify your application needs: Determine which features and functionalities are critical to your application, and which can be separated into different services. Consider the performance, scalability, and security requirements.
- Define your API: API should be designed to be lightweight and flexible, using RESTful principles. Your API should also be versioned, to allow for changes and updates without breaking compatibility with existing services.
- Build and deploy your microservices: Use the appropriate tools and technologies to create and deploy each service.
- Implement continuous integration: To keep up with the pace of development and changes in your application, you should implement continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD).
- Choose the right services: Choose the right services based on the functionalities. Make sure to keep each service simple.
Wrapping Up
From the article above, we now understand that microservices architecture offers many benefits for software development. So you can determine a software development company that can help your business related to microservices architecture.
We have strong expertise in software development and cloud migration. Depending on your needs, we can help your business scale to the next level.
Do microservices make sense for the business you run? Call us right away if you want to implement microservices!
