Lately I’ve been exploring what all the talk around "microservices architecture" is really about. From it popping up in every other social media debate to it increasingly becoming a must-have skill on job listings, what is it that has caused this strong divide between the proponents of the traditional monolithic approach and those who have embraced the microservices paradigm? In this article, I’m here to break it down for you as I outline the benefits, some common challenges, and offer some insights from microservices experts for those considering this approach.
Monolith vs. Microservices in a Nutshell
If you are not already familiar with monolithic vs. microservices architecture, you could imagine your software application as a structure made of Lego bricks. With monolithic architecture, you have one large Lego brick encompassing your entire application and all of its functionality. On the other hand, microservices architecture would be comparable to having a collection of smaller, specialized Lego bricks, each serving as individual components with specific tasks.