Understanding microservices

One of the goals of cloud computing is to provide cost-effective solutions that are dynamic and reliable. In Chapter 7, Designing Compute Solutions, we looked at several different components: containers, Kubernetes, Azure Functions, and Logic Apps.

One of the key differences between these services and more traditional compute options, such as VMs, is the ability to scale the resources they use up and down, dynamically – that is, in response to demand.

This scaling ability is most effectively used when combined with the microservice pattern of development. Understanding microservices helps to review the problems associated with applications that don't use them.

A typical solution comprises a user interface, a backend database or storage mechanism, and some business logic in between. Each of these components has to run on some form of computer, which could be a VM. Using N-tier architectures, we break these components up so that each tier...