A microservices architecture is a software design approach that arranges an application as a collection of loosely coupled services communicating through lightweight protocols. Proponents of microservices argue that isolation and thin interfaces offer optionality in implementation and composability.
But microservices aren’t always the magical solution they’re touted to be.
In this post, we’ll go over the advantages and disadvantages of microservices, and how to evaluate if a microservices architecture is right for you.
What are microservices?
A microservices architecture is an approach to software development in which solutions are composed of smaller independent services that communicate with each other over APIs. This architectural approach can be described based on the following features:
- A collection of services to handle critical features or tasks: In a microservices architecture, each microservice is built to accommodate specific features or tasks.
- Reliance on communication protocols: Services communicate with one another using communication protocols, such as HTTP resource APIs and lightweight asynchronous messaging.
- Organized by business capability: Services are organized by business capability, with the line separating services often referred to as a bounded context. For example, in ecommerce, everything that is related to customer management would be within one bounded context.
How do microservices work?
Unlike monolithic architecture in which all functions are tightly integrated, microservices architecture separates different ecommerce functions ike inventory management, checkout, and pricing into individual, loosely-coupled services.
Some key characteristics of a microservice architecture are:
- Each microservice operates as a self-contained module that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently of others.
- Microservices typically communicate with each other through APIs, making them well-suited for cloud computing environments like AWS.
- Individual services can be scaled as needed without affecting the entire system. For example, you could scale up the inventory service during a sale without touching other components.
- Different microservices can use different technologies, such as programming languages (e.g., Java), frameworks, and databases.
This flexibility lets teams choose the best tool for each specific function. Overall, the microservices architecture is valuable for complex, frequently updated applications that require high scalability and integration of different technologies.
The advantages of microservices
A microservice architecture optimizes for a separation of concerns and coordination, which offers engineering teams more choice and autonomy. This is why many organizations opt to build with microservices.
Some of the key engineering benefits of a microservice architecture include:
Flexibility and agility
Code can be updated easily, allowing new features and functionalities to be deployed without touching the entire application. This automation allows teams to deploy updates in a granular way and experiment rapidly.
Autonomy
At the code level, developers and teams can work independently, and have the option of using a mix of different tools and frameworks.
Faster time to market
The independent nature of microservices allows for parallel development across different teams, which can reduce development times and accelerate the launch of new features or products.
Customization
Microservices enable extensive customization of the tech stack. Organizations can create unique solutions by integrating new technologies, such as different frameworks, code bases, providers, and tools.
Scalability
The modularity of microservices allows components to be scaled independently of one another without the need to scale the entire application.
Seven disadvantages of microservices architecture
Microservices come with significant costs and tradeoffs compared to monolithic systems: You buy optionality by paying for bespoke development and ongoing upkeep.
Most of the advantages of microservices can be achieved with an extensible platform. A well-built kernel powering the platform can provide a set of opinionated, coupled contracts and APIs that enable it to deliver the benefits of speed, cohesion, and low maintenance, while allowing for extensibility and modular configuration where it’s needed.
Below, we’ll go over the drawbacks of microservices architecture—and how a platform can deliver the same value while mitigating some common microservices pitfalls:
- Increased maintenance costs
- Organizational complexity and overhead
- Coordination complexity
- Risk of failure cascades
- Performance and reliability issues
- Increased security complexity
- Difficulty with data management and consistency
1. Increased maintenance costs
The agility and flexibility of microservices introduce operational complexity and drive up maintenance costs. However, that does not mean engineering teams need to give up on extensibility and composability as a goal with their ecommerce architecture.
Strong service-level separation and composition are key to a scalable and flexible enterprise architecture, which is best derived through the use of common shared infrastructure, code primitives, and service contracts. This enables teams to operate across services with reusable context and tools, and allows security teams to enforce system-wide guarantees.
