Revolutionize Software Design

If you are involved in designing, coding, or managing software, you likely understand the long and difficult process required to create and update the many lines of code that make the software what end up being what users see and experience. Many times, when a team is working on software development, the result is that no one truly understands the entire code. Instead, one person may understand what they worked on, but not truly understand the overall code or how their section of code interacts with another person's section. The problem with this model is that it often makes the software very hard to understand, update and maintain. In addition to the complexity of understanding an entire code when you only worked on a small section, the different styles and habits of the individuals working on the large code can create inconsistencies in the code base, which can often cause problems when trying to push updates through. Another issue that developers often run into when creating large software is that the deployment timeline of the end product often gets extended due to the size of the project, causing missed deadlines and projects to run into each other. Often, a good solution to these problems facing project managers and developers is to break the code architecture into microservices.

What are Microservices?

Microservices are several processes that would often be included in one large piece of code, split out into their own separate applications. These applications have the ability to work together the same way the large chunk of code works together, but they allow the development team to break out the software into smaller pieces. Examples of microservices are numerous but one of the best examples would be how certain buildings are constructed. Some buildings are built not in one large piece, but instead a different team builds a section of the building, while the project manager focuses on fitting all the pieces together. This allows the team that worked on their section to have a detailed understanding of the piece they worked on, while also allowing the project manager to understand how the different sections relate to each other and fit together. In this way, microservices often allow certain members of the team to have a deep understanding of the application they worked on and how their application relates to and works with the other applications being developed by other team members. Many times, another benefit of this design system is that updates are much easier to push out subsequent to the initial release of the software. By developing separate applications that all work together, the development team can target a specific application with an update without having to rework many lines of codes in other sections of the program, which is often the case when developing programs by writing a singular chunk of code.

How to Begin Using Microservices

When you begin to build a program using microservices, it is likely that the first few steps will be confusing. The process of changing how a developer or even an entire team builds software is often a difficult task. However, many times implementing this change and pushing through the difficult transition period will result in significant increases in efficiency and functionality of the program being created. It can also provide a unique feeling of ownership by the team members who worked on a specific application and find that they understand the application on a level that they did not have in working on the large code blocks. Often, one of the best ways to ease the transition period is to gain as much understanding about microservices as you can. Many times taking the time to research a new method or process can result in a greater understanding of the process and an easier transition period due to the detailed level of knowledge about the process. While change is often difficult, the end results can often be outstanding.