Microservices Architecture: When and How
Microservices are powerful but complex. Let's explore when they make sense and how to implement them correctly.
What are Microservices?
An architectural style where applications are: - Composed of small, independent services - Each service handles one business capability - Services communicate via APIs - Independently deployable
Monolith vs Microservices
Monolith Advantages - Simpler to develop initially - Easier debugging - No network latency between components - Simpler deployment
Microservices Advantages - Independent scaling - Technology flexibility - Fault isolation - Team autonomy - Easier to understand individual services
When to Use Microservices
Consider microservices when: - Team is large (50+ developers) - Different parts need different scaling - You need technology diversity - Deployment independence is critical - Clear domain boundaries exist
When to Avoid
Stick with monolith when: - Small team (under 10 developers) - Simple domain - Tight budget - Need to move fast initially - Unclear requirements
Implementation Best Practices
Service Design - One service per business capability - Loose coupling, high cohesion - Own your data (database per service) - Design for failure
Communication - Synchronous: REST, gRPC - Asynchronous: Message queues - Event-driven architecture - API gateway pattern
Deployment - Containerization (Docker) - Orchestration (Kubernetes) - CI/CD pipelines - Infrastructure as code
Observability - Centralized logging - Distributed tracing - Metrics and monitoring - Health checks
Common Pitfalls
- Distributed monolith
- Too many services too soon
- Ignoring data consistency
- Inadequate monitoring
- Network complexity
At HostSpica, we help clients choose the right architecture for their needs. Often, starting with a well-structured monolith and evolving to microservices is the pragmatic path.