Monolithic Architecture and Microservices Concepts - Cloud Computing

Monolithic Architecture and Microservices Concepts- Cloud Computing

This article will help you to the understand and build concepts of Monolithic Architecture, and how Microservices- based architecture is replacing it. All latest applications are equipped with advanced features, but how these features and applications are build and deployed is based upon architecture it will follow.

What we will learn?

Table of Content:

By end of this article, reader will be able to :

• Explain what a monolith is.
• Discuss the monolith's challenges in the cloud.
• Explain the concept of microservices.

Introduction  to Monolithic Architecture

What is Monolithic Architecture?

Monolithic Architecture comprises of sedimented layers and redundant logic. These rigid logical line are translated into thousands of line of code. On monolithic architecture applications are mainly based on one single programming language. 

In simple words, Monolithic Architecture binds the complete application and its parts in a single unit. This unit along with its sub-parts(which are closely interconnected too) functions as a service.

Monolithic Architecture - Diagram

Monolithic architecture is more like inter connected blocks of a building, if you try to mess up with one block of building, it will effect the wall its building up and eventually may end up destroying strength of building itself.

Components of Monolithic Architecture:

Monolithic Architecture is composed of 6 layered components.

1. Authorization Layer
2. Presentation Layer
3. Business Logic
4. Database Layer
5. Application Integration
6. Notification Module

Back in the days, when monolithic was major architecture for application building and deployment, the programmer who played major role in coding was considered main asset to company. In case He leaves the company, the new recruit will take a lot of time to understand which part is linked to what function. Changing Development teams was the most hard process. 

Applications in Monolithic Architecture used a single major database for storing and retrieving all data. All components and features where linked to one single database which increased work load on database management as well.

When companies wanted to add new feature, they had to manually re-launch complete application on its servers again. This also resulted in downtime for applications and hence also effecting its customers base in that time. Companies had to plan for the perfect time of re-deployment. In case, any ug occurs with newly deployed application to restore previous running version again company had to face downtime and disruption in service.

Today, most of the enterprises strongly believe that Cloud will take place for all application hosting. But is Cloud Computing really that suitable for all applications?

Enterprises are moving towards cloud computing globally because Monolithic architecture is now outdated. Monolithic has very expensive taste when it comes to  hardware. Each company has to buy a a large, and single software which will grow each day. 

Draw Backs of Monolithic-based Applications:

Following are some major draw backs of Monolithic Architecture. 

1. Expensive Hardware required.
2. Memory Storage and Networking Requirements.
3. More Complex and Hard to debug applications are produced.
4. Applications based on Monolithic Architecture are not scalable.
5. The Major Programmer Who understands whole code is the main asset here.
6. Less Reliable Applications: In case of bug in any major memory module, entire application can be disrupted or impact performance.
7. Maintaince Issues with Monolithic architecture are not unknown. If application becomes large and commplex, even changing a single terminator in code can be of much challenge.

Monolithic applications run entirely as a single process, this is why scaling of individual features is extremely hard or nearly impossible.One more issue to consider here is that, in monolithic architecture, you cannot update chunks of your code while application is up running. When you want to update software or add features to your application in monolithic, you have to first get another server and deploy manually the back up of application so that in case of errors while updating application code or background testing application's backup is ready to take place.

Talking about, optimization and upgrading code in Monolithic Architecture, Unfortunately that too is pricey and difficult. In Code classes, variables, objects etc of one part of application are interconnected to other parts of application as well. In case you update or change any single part which was used or linked to other parts/layers of a function or feature, you will lose your working application.

Migration, Updates or patches for any application on monolithic architecture results in downtime of service. Maintenance windows have to be properly planned before any action as disruption in service will impact its users. While Less downtime can be achieved by proper planning, it is still quite of a challenge for system engineers to keep system at the same patch as before.

Microservices Architecture

Today, Microservices are eating up bulk applications. Microservices have disrupted the way applications where built and depolyed before in market. Tech giants and big companies are moving towards microservices-based applications to attain highly scalable state.

Microservices Architecture Vs Monolithic Architecture

What are Microservices? 

Microservices are deployed individually on spearate servers, each of these servers are provisioned with fewer resources- which are required for them to function only.

What is Microservices Architecture?

Microservices based Architecture is composed of Event-driven architecture and Service-Oriented Architecture(SOA) principles. In Microservice architecture smaller, independent applications are built which work together as a unit to achieve goals. These microservices communicate with each other through APIs over a network.  

Microservices instead of traditional method of sharing a single database uses separate database of each block of feature. This provides Less Coupling.

 Understand What is an API?

APIs allow access to other host based services to applications which may be internal or external. For example: APIs allow your Phone camera functions to be used while you are using Online communicating apps like Skype, Whatsapp or even using Snapchat.

Benefits of Microservices over Monolithic Architecture:

Some Major Benefits of Microservices-based Architecture are:

• Nature distributed blocks of features in  of microservices help to reduce complexity of application and improve updating process.
• More and more advanced programming languages can be used to compose each feature or service and then joined working as a unit acting as a single application.
• Microservices-based architecture has increased scalability of application development.
• Microservices provide seamless upgrade and patching process ability.
• Microservices has virtually removed downtime and service disruption while an upgrade is on the way!
• Enterprises can develop and launch new features more faster, due to separate teams focusing on each feature's progress, productivity and cost-effectiveness is increased.
• Microservices-based application use relatively less memory space.

• Testing and Deployment is easier saving time and resources.

Microservices at Netflix: