I'm curious about the reasons companies might transition from a monolithic architecture to microservices. I understand that microservices aren't the best fit for every scenario, especially for small teams or startups. Can anyone explain the main advantages or situations that make microservices a better choice over monolithic systems? What are the key drawbacks of sticking with a monolithic approach?
2 Answers
It's a real balancing act! Both approaches have their pros and cons, and often something in between works best. Monoliths can lead to downtime with significant changes, while microservices offer flexibility, especially when you want to sunsetting unused parts without disrupting everything else. The right choice really depends on your application and team structure.
Changes within a monolith can be tricky. If one part of the monolithic application goes down, it can bring down the whole system. This isn't as big an issue with microservices, as they operate independently. Upgrading one service shouldn't impact others, which can save a lot of headaches down the road.
There are still some nuances here! For instance, while a monolith can use techniques like blue-green deployments, it can be challenging if multiple functions are dependent on a single piece of code, complicating updates.