Pros and Cons of Microservices
Microservices are a great way to streamline your software delivery process. According to Business Wire, the Cloud Microservices Market was worth $831.45 million in 2020 and is expected to reach $2701.36 million by 2026. This software development approach has been of immense value to developers since its inception, enabling them to build applications with higher cohesion.
Nevertheless, microservices have their fair share of drawbacks. For example, it demands higher initial costs and more detailed testing before developers can release production code. So how can you decide whether this approach is good for your company? Read on to find out the pros and cons of microservices.
How Do Microservices Work?
A microservice is a novel software development approach that divides a software system into smaller, more manageable pieces. It can be a service or collection of services that work together to handle a specific task, such as a database query or an external API call. Besides handling these technical challenges, Microservices help to tackle a wide range of business problems. For example, managing data flow and ensuring a 24/7 availability of the system.Pros of Microservices
1. Versatility
Microservices improve the versatility of an application by creating multiple instances of an application that can be operated independently. This feature allows applications to be tailored to the specific needs of a specific customer base and improve performance since each instance of the application is focused on a specific task.2. Easy to Integrate and Scale With Third-Party Tools
Microservices make it easy to manage distributed apps across different clouds and servers. They work with any code that uses channels to communicate between services, such as a REST API or a messaging API. Third-party tools can help you manage and scale your apps across various clouds and servers, including Google Cloud Platform, AWS, and Microsoft Azure. These tools are also great for building on open source platforms, such as PHP and Node.js.
3. Improves Fault Tolerance
Microservices improve fault tolerance by providing various services developers can use to solve specific problems. This trait allows for rapid response to problems, leading to reduced downtime. It also supports multiplexing of services and tasks, which allows for better coordination of services and better management of resources. Additionally, microservices allow for independent operations without having to worry about the impact that one service might have on another service.4. Reduce Risk
A microservice architecture helps to reduce risk and build confidence in the long-term health of the system. This is because it reduces the chance of failure by spreading the work across multiple teams. Another way it helps to reduce risk is by allowing developers to test their software before releasing it to the public. By testing their software before releasing it to the public, developers can ensure that it works properly and meets users’ expectations.5. Faster Development Cycles
Developers can use microservices to create more agile development processes. This is because they allow teams to work on smaller, more frequent tasks. By dividing an application into smaller, more manageable parts, developers can build parts separately, enabling them to make changes quickly and evaluate the results of their work.Cons of Microservices
1. Global Testing and Debugging Is Difficult
Microservices complicate global testing and debugging because they create a separation of responsibilities between different services. This separation makes it difficult to debug problems in one service while they are happening in other services. Additionally, it can be difficult to track and fix problems in separate services if the cause of the problem is present in one service and absent in others.2. Requires More Collaboration
Collaboration can enhance productivity across software development teams when it’s applied moderately. Otherwise, it can be counterproductive. And the latter outcome plays out more frequently because microservices require heavy collaboration. Developers may easily get bogged down in the politics of who gets what credit and who gets to share the blame. This can slow down the entire project and often result in frustrating workarounds.