
How to Avoid Building a Monolith with Microservices
In the present world, most software developers work on developing software applications with microservices architecture while avoiding the monolithic architecture or the traditional model that can be used to develop a software application. A software application with a monolithic architecture has all components merged. In other words, all the components should be present as a single unit for a software application with a monolithic architecture to work successfully.
However, unlike a monolithic application, the components of a software application with a microservice architecture are not dependent on each other. The microservice architecture allows the creation of small independent components that carry out a process or functionality of the application as a separate service.
So when we start to develop a software application with microservices, we have to make sure that we do not end up with a monolithic application with microservices. In this article, let us have a look at how to avoid building a monolith with microservices.
A solid macro architecture framework
When the allowed technologies are limited
One of the most reliable ways to keep away from building a monolith with microservices is by maintaining a solid macro architecture framework. We might end up developing a monolith if the technologies allowed by the company are limited. But with the macro architecture framework, we can outline the programming languages, frameworks, and infrastructure consistently for each microservice.
When the database integration with microservices is complex
Similarly, the possibility of a developed application being a monolithic application is high when there is no necessity for multiple databases. The macro architecture framework allows specific microservices to make use of the domain model in the database schema. But this does not mean that a set of microservices will use the same database schema.

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When a uniform user interface is required
Furthermore, when there is a necessity of developing a uniform UI, we might end up creating a monolithic application. Shared CSS and JavaScript are not sufficient to guarantee a common style for the UI which is connected to many microservices as the uniform technical artifacts can be utilized to develop various types of user interfaces. This can be avoided by creating and using a style guide for the macro architecture framework.
When the application works as a coherent system
Most developers tend to implement applications with monolithic architecture when they are viewed from the angle of a coherent system. This situation can be eliminated when a solid macro architecture framework is followed. Following is a list of ways how the macro architecture assists us to eliminate the discussed issue.
- The coherent nature of an application arises in scenarios such as when each microservice provides a uniform interface and when different formats are used for communication. Using the communication protocol for a macro architecture framework assists us to manage and control these scenarios.
- The macro architecture helps the developers with the authentication process, allowing the authentication of a user to be used for all the microservices through a single authentication operation. Authenticating a user for each microservice separately is not acceptable.
- With the macro architecture, we can test all the microservices together after outlining the required prerequisites for testing.
Flexible and solid microservices architecture
The capability of the microservices architecture to avoid dependencies.
A software application will fall into the monolithic system category if the core services are dependent on each other. In such cases, the dependencies will pop up as method calls. But, if an application follows a flexible and solid microservice architecture, we can model each service as a unique unit that covers a particular functionality or set of functionalities. As a consequence, we can ensure that the microservices operate on their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Microservice is the breaking up of traditionally tightly coupled application components into small specialized services that communicate through HTTPS REST and HTTPS API interfaces.
Since Microservices are small specialized services, they can be quickly and efficiently rearranged to accommodate future capabilities unknown at the present time.
Microservices are independent and modular which allows for significant flexibility in communications patterns and often prevent cascading failure.
DevOps is the combination of development and operations into a single function of software development and infrastructure management. The main priority of DevOps is the reduction of barriers to speed of delivery.
DevSecOps empowers everyone in the development process using a security focused tool set to address timely security decisions at speed and scale of each development stage. The main priority of DevSecOps is risk reduction through DevOps security accountability and governance.
Security automation in DevSecOps increases speed of code releases while reducing the risk using static application security testing (SAST), dynamic application security testing (DAST), and code dependency checking.
High business value is realized from quick and efficient response to market opportunities and challenges, optimization for innovation, and reduction of technical debt all lead to superior competitive advantage.
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The ability of the microservices architecture to allow scaling
Horizontal scaling
We can horizontally scale our applications with microservices architecture, without any usage of hardware components. This can be achieved through the addition of extra application instances inside a cloud service, Virtual Machines with the application installed, or more containers. If we are using Virtual Machines, it is not necessary to increase their sizes. By simply increasing the number of Virtual Machines, we can get an increased amount of computer power. The usage of the instances arises when a microservice becomes a performance bottleneck.
Vertical scaling
With the improvements to a software application, we might end up at a point where the cluster of the application does not have sufficient memory to execute the application. The applications with microservices architecture can be scaled vertically by increasing the hardware capacity. In other words, we can add more CPU, memory, and disk IOPS without making any change to the architecture and the infrastructure of the software application.
Usability of the Domain-driven design for microservices architecture
Domain-driven design (DDD) is a required framework/tool to be used when designing microservices as the microservices architecture framework consists of a particular bounded context and configurations. Domain-driven design provides a set of concepts, guidelines, and patterns that assist to design software applications concerning the fundamental business domain model. In other words, it shows us how we can solve the problems and fulfill the business requirements through code. Microservice design acquires these concepts and principles to implement unique modular systems that can operate and function on their own without any dependency.
Conclusion to Avoid Building a Monolith with Microservices
Making use of microservices to develop a software application demonstrates that they are implemented using loosely coupling services. If a software application is developed on top of the microservices architecture, it ends up with various small services. Each service stands for a specific business goal or a requirement and all the services are combined as a whole application.
To sum up, everything that has been discussed so far, we need to make sure that we do not end up implementing a monolithic application once we start implementing an application on the microservice architecture. To achieve that, we can use a solid macro architecture framework and ensure that the microservices architecture used for the implementation of the application is flexible and solid to avoid building a monolith with microservices.
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