Organizations are increasingly adopting Microservices to benefit from evolving cutting-edge technologies. Per an IDC forecast, 90 percent of all new apps will be based on Microservices architecture to increase modular functionality, leading to an added and improved ability to leverage third-party code, design, and update with added security and high availability.
So why has there been a shift from Monolithic architecture to Microservices? One of the biggest reasons is the inherent benefits for database protection and application development. Monolithic applications comprise a single autonomous unit. Even for small changes in code for the application, it might require building the application anew or providing an update for the entire software. The same applies when you need to add new applications or scale up the entire application. In contrast to Monolithic architecture, Microservices follow a decentralized approach where each of the applications is a standalone entity. They are responsible for their specific functions and maintain their own data store, making them more manageable.
Microservices’ modular nature can be viewed as owning huge chunks of Lego blocks which can be used to create specific architecture for a specific functionality. You can add/reduce new parts/modules easily to create a new function or go for a big structure as per your desire. The modular approach offers a number of business benefits:
- Higher run time: The applications can be modified, updated, or loaded with extra features without bringing the whole system to halt. In contrast to the Monolithic system where you need to update the whole system for adding new applications, Microservices removes such downtime or the need for a huge update size. Even though one of the applications might be facing downtime, it is not going to hamper the functionality of other areas of application due to the decentralized approach of the architecture. This helps to pinpoint the problem and address concerns faster, keeping the business up and running.
- Better Performance: Monolithic systems are usually centralized and do not support horizontal scaling. The only option available is to either increase the capacity of the existing machine or keep changing the hardware as demand grows. There is always some downtime involved in this process and it is not a cost-efficient solution for business. Microservices, which is distributed by nature, supports horizontal scaling. Cloud and Orchestration platforms like Kubernetes support auto-scaling based on resource usage of the application. New application instances are added automatically as demand grows and they are removed when the usage is low. In terms of cost, this is what any business would want.
- Added Security: Communication between two Microservices is managed and encrypted with rules that is to call for data. Service mesh proxies control and secure the communication through policies between Microservices and provide consistent service to service security. This removes dependency on developers to program the security into each of the services. To fix bugs, a cycle of planned updates are impractical as far as today’s business requirements are concerned. Since each of the autonomous Microservices is isolated and acts as a piece of one large puzzle, the security risks are confined. Adding API gateway ensures that there is one single point of entry for all requests for services.
- Agility supporting business needs: Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), Agile, and container methodologies can be used in harmony for focused teams to use the technology / design that is best suited for the application. For e.g. A Data/Analytics service can be developed using-NoSQL database, Python, and Kafka Streams. As customer priorities are changing, companies need to focus and release specific functionality (sometimes short-lived). They don’t need to rely/depend on the IT team and can manage their own deployment schedule. The team can get aligned to varied design needs with the changing dynamics of each business domain.
- Scalability for faster go-to-market: As business grows and expands to new geographies, new modules need to be developed and deployed. Microservices can pick the best practices and codes from other modules to be used for new modules. To reduce project completion time, each team working on the project can work independently and manage their own schedule for deployment. Adding new features for a new geography or a new product line and modifying it to suit that customer segment is easier than ever before. With the help of automated testing, scaling application deployment is getting faster and business is up and running in a shorter time to cover new avenues.
- Improved customer experience: Ease of finding the right product with the best user experience determines the selection criteria for brands. There is an increased need to provide exceptional customer experience across all touch points in their journey. Customers expect continuous and consistent omnichannel experience. Microservices allow companies to add, remove, and test features of various systems of engagement very quickly. It doesn’t matter which channel a customer is using. Central common data stores over multi cloud make data access easy with security. It is a great advantage for customer service teams as relevant data stored is common for all. During peak hours, being on cloud makes it more potent and scalable while maintaining performance. Thanks to Microservices, companies own the software lifecycle and don’t need to wait for a full refresh of the system.
Benefits of Microservices-led Architecture
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