In this article, we will learn about the Monolith Vs Microservices architecture.
Monolith Architecture
Monolith architecture is an architectural design where an entire application is bound or packaged as a single unit. It is a classic software design in which the application’s features, functionalities, and components are tightly coupled in a single codebase.
It’s like building the whole website as one giant block, where everything is tightly interconnected. Changes or updates to one part can affect others, making it harder to maintain and scale. If the website gets big, it becomes like a massive, heavy block that’s tough to move around.
Below is an example of a traditional Monolith Architecture
Advantages of Monolith Architecture
1) Suited for Small Projects
For small applications, monolith architecture is a better choice to avoid microservices’ complexity and simplify the deployment process.
2) Easy Deployment
Whenever we are deploying a monolith architecture application, we deploy it as a whole single package unit which simplifies the deployment process.
There is no reason of managing multiple services which reduced complexity.
3) Easier Testing
Since all the features/components are in the same code base, it is easier for the testing team to test the entire application at once.
4) Easy Debugging
The debugging process is simple in monolith architecture as all the code of our application is present in one place. Finding an issue by following a request’s flow is simple.
5) Cost Saving
The cost of building a monolith architecture application is comparatively low as there is no overhead either in infrastructure cost or development cost.
Disadvantages of Monolithic Architecture
1) Limitations in size and complexity
This type of architecture can only be used for small applications as the complexity increases by increasing the features, components and services of the application. if we try to increase the size of our application using monolith architecture, it may face many issues such as the application can get slower and increasing the loading time which further leads to a bad user experience.
2) Scalability
It can be ineffective and expensive to scale the entire application to handle rising demand.
3) Deployment issues
If you ever wish to update or change any one of the components, you have to redeploy the entire application.
4) Possibility of application failure
If one component fails, it can result in the failure of the entire application because of the tightly coupled architecture.
Microservice Architecture
In Microservices architectural pattern application is broken down into collections of small services. These services are isolated from each other and work independently.
- It’s like breaking the website into smaller, manageable pieces, like separate building blocks that work together. Each building block handles a specific task, like one for products, one for user accounts, and one for payments.
- These blocks or services can communicate with each other but are largely independent, so changing one doesn’t necessarily affect the others. If one service fails, you can deploy the failed service instead of redeploying the whole application. That is the power of Microservices (loosely coupled) architecture.
In the above image, we can see that an e-commerce application is divided into small services and each service has its own database. Each component/module is a separate loosely coupled service. For example, the Order service acts independently and is only responsible for taking and processing the orders of the customers.
Advantages of Microservice Architecture
1) Fault Isolation
Services are isolated from each other. if one service fails, the entire application doesn’t collapse. For example, if there is an issue in one service suppose the payment service still the user can search for products, and add products to the cart.
2) Independence in Deployment
If there are changes or updates to be made in one service, there is no need to deploy the entire application. Only the service updated can be redeployed.
3) Easy Debugging
The codebase of all the services is isolated from each other hence It is comparatively easy to find and solve the error of individual services.
4) Scalability
Each service can be scaled independently based on its specific needs. For example, the upload photo service might require more resources to handle uploads during peak hours for a social media application, while the user service can scale separately based on login demands.
5) Faster Development and Easier Testing
Different teams can work on individual services, allowing for quicker feature development and deployment. Testing is relatively easy as we can test a microservice without testing the whole system.
Disadvantages of Microservice Architecture
Despite having many advantages there are some disadvantages of this approach which are mentioned below.
1) Increased Complexity
The complexity of an application increases as the size and features of the application increase.
2) Complexity in Deployment
As there are many small services, the deployment becomes more complex.
Top Companies Leveraging Microservices Architecture
Here is the list of a few companies that are using a microservices architecture.
1. Netflix
One of the innovators of the microservices architecture is Netflix. Their architecture, which is made up of a large number of microservices, enables them to provide fault tolerance and high availability while delivering streaming content to millions of people globally.
2. Spotify
“Is Spotify a microservice?”
This is the general question mostly googled or asked. Well, the answer is ‘yes’.
Microservices are the foundation of Spotify’s music streaming service. User identification, playlist management, and content suggestions are just a few of the several tasks that each microservice undertakes for the application.
3. Uber
The location tracking, payment processing, and ride matching functions handled by Uber’s ride-hailing platform are all handled by microservices.
Conclusion
It is sometimes difficult to choose which architecture suits your needs the most. It is important to understand the business need and then take the right decision. To know more visit the below article.