What are microservices, and what is a microservices architecture?
Microservices architecture (often shortened to microservices) refers to an architectural style for developing applications. Microservices allow a large application to be separated into smaller independent parts, with each part having its own realm of responsibility. To serve a single user request, a microservices-based application can call on many internal microservices to compose its response.
Containers are a well-suited microservices architecture example, since they let you focus on developing the services without worrying about the dependencies. Modern cloud-native applications are usually built as microservices using containers.
How microservices work
Microservices architecture focuses on classifying otherwise large, bulky applications. Each microservice addresses an application’s particular aspect and function, such as logging, data search, and more. Together, these microservices form a single application.
The client can use the user interface to generate requests. At the same time, one or more microservices are commissioned through the API gateway to perform the requested task. As a result, even larger complex problems that require a combination of microservices can be solved relatively easily.
Microservices systems facilitate each component service’s independent building, operation, scaling, and deployment. There is no sharing of the codes or functionality with other services. The use of well-defined APIs propagates communication between the program’s various components.
The microservice architecture contains components depending on the business requirements.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Microservices
Advantages
Small in size: Microservices is an implementation of SOA design pattern. Hence, it will be small in size and easy to maintain than any other monolithic application.
Focused: Each microservice should be full stack in nature and designed to deliver only one business task which helps in focusing the deliverability.
Autonomous: Microservice is an autonomous business unit of the entire application that makes the application more loosely coupled, which helps to reduce the maintenance cost.
Heterogeneity: Microservice is a heterogeneous system that supports different technologies to communicate with each other, which helps the developers to use the correct technology at the correct place.
Ease of deployment: Microservices is easy to deploy as the entire application is divided into small pieces of units; every component should be full stack in nature.
Disadvantages
Distributed system: We saw that microservice is heterogeneous, which requires a set of skilled professionals to support this big heterogeneous distributed software. Hence, this stands as the number one disadvantage of using microservice.
Cost: Microservice requires different server spaces for different business tasks. Hence, it is costly!
Examples of Microservices Frameworks for Java
There are several microservices frameworks that you can use for developing for Java. Some of these are:
Spring Boot. This is probably the best Java microservices framework that works on top of languages for Inversion of Control, Aspect-Oriented Programming, and others.
Jersey. This open-source framework supports JAX-RS APIs in Java is very easy to use.
Swagger. Helps you in documenting API as well as gives you a development portal, which allows users to test your APIs.
Others that you can consider include: Dropwizard, Ninja Web Framework, Play Framework, RestExpress, Restlet, Restx, and Spark Framework.
Comments