System-level environment isolation
The key enabler to the rapid iteration of software implementation is the reuse of existing software components. Don't repeat yourself—this is a common mantra of many programmers. Using other packages and modules to include them in the codebase is only a part of that mindset. What can also be considered as reused components are binary libraries, databases, system services, third-party APIs, and so on. Even whole operating systems should be considered as a component that is being reused.
The backend services of web-based applications are a great example of how complex such applications can be. The simplest software stack usually consists of a few layers. Consider some imaginary application that allows you to store some information of its users and exposes it to the internet over the HTTP protocol. It could have at least the three following layers (starting from the lowest):
- A database or other kind of...
