Monolithic vs Micro services Architecture in Software Development

Let’s start with the explanation of the two terms. Monolithic architecture is the traditional unified model or way of designing software. Mono means one or one piece. Monolithic design or software is made to be self-contained or built to be one unit. Components of the software are interconnected, dependent on each other rather than loosely coupled. This means that each component and its associated components (components it is dependent on) must be available or present in order for the software to run.
 
Microservice architecture, on the other hand, is a loosely coupled way of designing software. Components of the microservice architecture are independent of one another. It splits application components into small autonomous services that are deployed and scaled independently.
 
This little article is not comparing the two architectures to tell you which is actually better to use every time, as every good software engineer knows no architecture or language is better than the other. It all depends on circumstance or the situation. We are here to look at both architecture the pros and cons of both with some suggestions on how to make a decision, so you can decide which is best for you or for the software you are trying to build.
 
Pros of the Monolithic architecture 

1. Simplicity: Monolithic architectures are simple to build, test and deploy.
2. Simple to scale horizontally by running multiple copies behind a load balancer
3. Easier to plan and design
4. Can have better performance

 
Cons of the Monolithic architecture

1. 1. Reliability: An error in one of the components can bring the entire application down.
   2. Updates: Due to the intercoupling and dependent components in this architecture, the entire application will have to be deployed on each update.
   3. Technology Stack: Monoliths use the same technology stack for the entire application. Changes to the stack can be quite expensive and rigorous.

• High learning curve: New hires have to get used to the huge codebase which can be time consuming and slow.

 
Pros of the Microservices Architecture

1. Microservices are loosely coupled, they are less dependent on one another, this makes the application more adaptive to change over time.
2. It enables each service to be developed independently by a team that is focused on that service.
3. The adoption of new technologies is easier since developers are free to choose whatever technologies are best for the service they are concentrated on.
4. The microservice architecture enables each service to be deployed independently. This makes continuous deployment possible for complex applications.

 
Cons of the Microservices Architecture

1. Difficult to test: Microservices applications are much more complex than the monolithic application. For a similar test for a service, you would need to launch that service and any services that it depends upon.
2. More Complex

 
Summary
Building complex applications can be an extremely difficult task. Generally Monolithic architecture better suits simple, lightweight applications. Microservices architecture pattern is the better choice for complex, evolving applications. Actually the microservices approach is all about handling a complex system.
 
When it comes down to the monolithic vs. microservices debate, keep these four basic things in mind:

• Does your team have microservices expertise?
• Do you have the right infrastructure for distributed apps?
• Have you evaluated the business risks involved?
• Are your application boundaries clearly defined?