Monolith to Microservices

Chapter 1. Just Enough Microservices

Well, that escalated quickly, really got out of hand fast!

Ron Burgundy, Anchorman

Before we dive into how to work with microservices, it is important that we have a common, shared understanding about what microservice architectures are. I’d like to address some common misconceptions I see on a regular basis, as well as nuances that are often missed. You’ll need this firm foundation of knowledge to get the most out of what follows in the rest of the book. As such, this chapter will provide an explanation of microservice architectures, look briefly at how microservices developed (which means, naturally, taking a look at monoliths), and examine some of the advantages and challenges of working with microservices.

What Are Microservices?

Microservices are independently deployable services modeled around a business domain. They communicate with each other via networks, and as an architecture choice offer many options for solving the problems you may face. It follows that a microservice architecture is based on multiple collaborating microservices.

They are a type of service-oriented architecture (SOA), albeit one that is opinionated about how service boundaries should be drawn, and that independent deployability is key. Microservices also have the advantage of being technology agnostic.

From a technology viewpoint, microservices expose the business capabilities that they encapsulate via one or more network endpoints. Microservices communicate ...