Patterns and common design decisions

Microservices have gained enormous popularity in recent years. They have evolved as the preferred choice of architects, putting SOA into the backyards. While acknowledging the fact that microservices are a vehicle for developing scalable cloud native systems, successful microservices need to be carefully designed to avoid catastrophes. Microservices are not the one-size-fits-all, universal solution for all architecture problems.

Generally speaking, microservices are a great choice for building a lightweight, modular, scalable, and distributed system of systems. Over-engineering, wrong use cases, and misinterpretations could easily turn the system into a disaster. While selecting the right use cases is paramount in developing a successful microservice, it is equally important to take the right design decisions by carrying out an appropriate trade-off analysis. A number of factors are to be considered when designing microservices, as detailed in the following...