The microservice architecture – why should the business be aware of it?

Arkadiusz Kubiak

Microservices are popular when building dedicated systems. The microservice architecture involves decomposing a monolithic system into smaller applications. Simply put, a single complex application is broken down into multiple independent and more manageable parts. The business can considerably benefit from such an operation.

The following is our list of possible scenarios when the introduction of microservices can save You a lot of money and time, and reduce stress.

  1. You are trying to secure the future of Your application

    You never know the direction of Your application’s development - how much it will grow, how many tests it will need, what processing power it will require to function properly. Microservices are

    flexible and resizable,

    and their simplicity prevents the code from being associated with arcane knowledge. That makes the introduction of new versions of Your application or updating its parts much easier. It is thus a perfect kind of IT architecture for testers and innovators!

    The microservices, which often employ containerisation tools, enable programmers to transfer the so-called ‘containers’ between virtual machines. A container consists of the code of the service and any essential dependencies (e.g. external libraries) it needs to function properly. You, as the owner of the project, are certain they employ the already well-developed solutions, so there is no need to waste time and develop them from scratch.

  2. You enable migrations

    It is quite common for the application we used to work on years ago to have been since developed by some people no longer associated with us. Besides, there is no documentation and You, despite being the owner of the IT system, do not even know what it comprises. Now imagine a monolithic application with numerous internal dependencies and a large number of functionalities. The migration of such a tool, e.g. to the cloud, to develop Your business in a faster and more flexible way is a great challenge - not only in terms of IT itself, but also logistics and organisation. 

    Microservices enable You to migrate the application in light packages that include all the components necessary to preserve the system after the process has been completed. You do not have to know exactly what dependencies the specific microservice needs or what its configuration is -

    You just need to know which one is being migrated.

  3. You want to organise Your team in a more efficient way.

    The microservice architecture can help You automate the work of Your entire team. The team focusing on a specific task (e.g. optimising the search engine or implementing the workings of a basket) acts independently and knows their exact range of duties. That enables You to avoid any problems related to communication or project management. The sole fact that an individual belongs to a team clearly defines their range of duties. In terms of business, the team does not waste time on any organisational activities, and You do not need to pay them for it.

  4. You are managing a diverse team

Microservices enable the subcontractor, e.g. a software house or a new employee, to use anything their predecessors had developed in a democratic and coherent way.

The microservice architecture may also be useful when Your project is being developed by multiple external teams supervised by an internal coordinator. Their work should be as transparent as possible - the microservice ensures it by making every team take care of a separate system function.

Microservices are not flawless, though. As high-order services they necessitate designing a proper internal communication structure for the entire system to work properly. The higher the number of connections, the higher the risk of an error. That is why the Customer is expected to have strong awareness of IT services, be ready to develop and update the project documentation, and to take care of the logistics of the project. An intermediate solution is also possible - a hybrid incorporating only a certain range of microservices.

Arkadiusz Kubiak

Arkadiusz Kubiak
CTO & Founder – has extensive IT knowledge and builds IT architectures based on clear business directions. He can find effective optimization for every process. His focus is building a dedicated team for a specific project. He has been working in the IT industry for 10 years. Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań graduate.

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