Microservices break systems down into modular, individualized components for increased flexibility and performance. Here’s everything you need to know.
There’s a lot of buzz right now in the enterprise tech space surrounding microservices, but this trend has been steadily growing for the past few years. The rise of cloud-based solutions, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) has sparked even more interest in microservices recently.
LightStep found that between 2017 and 2018, 92% of software development professionals worldwide increased their number of microservices—and an equal percentage expected their microservices to grow in the next year. This trend mirrors the expansion of the overall microservices architecture market which, according to research from Market Research Future, is increasing at a compound growth rate of 17% annually. That will translate to about $33 billion by 2023!
It’s clear microservices are on the rise. But what exactly are microservices, and how do they work? More importantly, why are they the preferred architecture for top enterprises? In this article, we’ll explore the basics of microservices.
What are Microservices?
Microservices are a specific way of designing software systems in which systems can be broken down into multiple, loosely-coupled component services. The idea is that applications are easier to build and maintain when they have been separated into smaller pieces, features, and core functions that work seamlessly together. 
Each component in a microservice architecture has its own CPU, runtime environment, and dedicated team. This makes each microservice distinct, meaning each one runs its own unique processes. Microservices can also communicate autonomously and function or fail without involving other microservices. Some other key benefits of microservices include:
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Ease of deployment: Microservice-based applications are modular and smaller than applications built using traditional development methods, making them easier to build and deploy
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Increased scalability: Microservices remain functional in the midst of large size or volume changes, making it simple for enterprises to scale up as business needs adjust. Also, microservices utilize fewer resources.
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Increased resilience: Microservices are independent units that don’t impact one another, so one failure won’t take down your entire application. This helps increase uptime, promote business continuity, and boost performance.
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Faster time-to-market: Since microservices support more agile updates and evolutions, you can shorten development cycles with a microservice architecture
Microservices are well-suited for today’s top enterprises, and their use cases will only increase. For example, the healthcare microservices market is expected to balloon to $519 million by 2025. Healthcare organizations are constantly looking for solutions that can help overcome complexity—the faster service deployment, quicker adoption of technology, and increased productivity offered by microservices help healthcare professionals reach those goals.
Along with the healthcare sector, other highly-regulated industries benefit from bringing microservices into enterprise operations. Banks and other financial institutions can take advantage of the architecture’s increased security and easy-to-manage API layer, while government agencies can use microservices to easily build applications that align with business goals and better serve constituents’ needs. Microservices support business operations across industries, helping enterprises of all kinds create powerful applications.
Microservices vs. Monoliths
That means each component must be present in order to execute or compile code—and if any particular component has to change, the entire application must be rewritten.
Microservices are the answer to older, less agile monolithic architectures. A monolithic architecture is a model for designing software built on a single code base, with interconnected and interdependent components. That means each component must be present in order to execute or compile code—and if any particular component has to change, the entire application must be rewritten.
Even though a monolithic approach is largely incompatible with how modern enterprises do business today, there are a few advantages to using a monolithic architecture. For instance, it can be easier to test and debug in a monolith because there are fewer elements and variables at play. Also, monoliths tend to boast better throughput than segmented approaches.
The cons of a monolithic architecture, however, far outweigh the pros. When you have a structure in which all components depend on each other, it becomes harder to understand the system as complexity increases and layers pile up. Other notable disadvantages of monoliths include:
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Slow builds & releases: With a monolithic architecture, even the smallest upgrades require you to recode the entire application
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Complicated adoption of third-party tools: Adding third-party tools to a single code base, especially one tied up in dependencies, requires complicated hookups to multiple different layers
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Difficulty isolating services: Tight coupling in monolithic architectures makes it incredibly difficult to update or scale your application as business needs grow
At the end of the day, microservices are faster, more agile, and more flexible than monoliths. Plus, microservices are better suited to the needs of modern enterprises.
Maximizing microservices with Unqork
Unqork’s no-code platform is designed to help enterprises across industries make the most of the microservices trend. With no-code, you can easily create reusable microservices that will speed up development times and help you adapt quickly to changes. This reusability enables you to share and repurpose microservices across your enterprise, so your application can grow with your organization and keep up with technological trends.
See for yourself how easy it is to leverage pre-built integrations within the platform.
Using pre-built components for popular integrations takes the complexity out of adding in third-party tools. The new Unqork Marketplace enables Creators to quickly access commonly used endpoints, which makes adding functionality to your application easier than ever before. You can use Unqork’s reusable microservices and snippets in the Marketplace to build end-to-end workflows, integrate with existing platforms, and customize the end-user experience. Combine microservices with the power of no-code to quickly build scalable, strong, and agile enterprise applications.
To experience Unqork first-hand, schedule a personalized demonstration with one of our in-house experts today. Also, sign up for the Unqork newsletter to learn more about no-code’s capabilities.
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