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Migration from Monolithic Architecture to Microservices

Dr. M H B Ariyaratne edited this page Mar 7, 2025 · 1 revision

Migration from Monolithic Architecture to Microservices

Article:

Our current application is built on a monolithic architecture, where all features, modules, and business logic run within a single codebase and deployment. While this structure has supported our operations, it presents limitations in scalability, maintainability, and independent deployment.

To address these challenges, we are planning a gradual transition towards mini-services or microservices architecture.

1. Monolithic Architecture – Current State

A monolithic application is developed as one unified unit.
Features:

  • Single codebase.
  • Single deployment.
  • Tight coupling between modules.

Challenges:

  • Difficult to scale specific modules.
  • Complex maintenance and upgrades.
  • Higher risk of failure affecting the entire system.

2. Mini-Services and Microservices – Future Direction

Mini-Services:
A modular approach that breaks the monolith into larger, logically grouped services.

  • Suitable when complete microservices are not immediately practical.
  • Reduced interdependencies.
  • Easier transition from monolith.

Microservices:
A full decomposition into independent services focused on specific business functions.
Features:

  • Each service handles a single responsibility.
  • Independent deployment and scaling.
  • Technology flexibility per service.

3. Benefits of Migration

  • Faster development and deployment.
  • Independent scalability.
  • Improved fault isolation.
  • Easier maintenance and upgrades.

4. Migration Approach

  • Identify loosely coupled modules within the monolith.
  • Design APIs to expose these modules as services.
  • Shift shared components (like authentication and logging) into common services.
  • Migrate module by module, starting with less critical areas.
  • Monitor and adjust performance, security, and inter-service communication.

5. Challenges to Manage

  • Data consistency across services.
  • Increased network communication.
  • Deployment complexity.
  • Monitoring distributed systems.

6. Technologies to Consider

  • REST or gRPC for communication.
  • Docker and Kubernetes for containerisation.
  • API Gateway for request routing and security.
  • Centralised logging and monitoring tools.

7. Conclusion

Moving from a monolithic application to mini-services or microservices will enhance flexibility, reliability, and performance. However, it requires careful planning, phased migration, and the right technical infrastructure to ensure long-term success.

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