TOPIC

Microservices is an architecture and an approach to writing software where applications are broken down into their smallest components, independent from each other. Instead of a traditional, monolithic, approach to apps–where everything built into a single piece–microservices are all separated and work together to accomplish the same tasks. Each of these components, or processes, are the microservices. This approach to software development values granularity, being lightweight, and the ability to share similar process across multiple apps.

But the bigger question here is why you'd want to use a microservices-based infrastructure. The goal is, simply put, to deliver quality software–faster. Using microservices is a means to that end, but there are other considerations to be aware of. Breaking your apps into microservices isn’t enough, you've got to manage them, orchestrate them, and deal with the data they create and modify.

Microservices let your business react faster by making it much easier to develop and adapt your apps faster to meet demands. This approach to software design and architecture allows your business to get out of the multiyear “death march” that is traditional software development. Now, different parts of your development team can work concurrently on your products, in an agile manner, and deliver value to your customers immediately.

Learn the basic ideas behind microservices and the pros and cons of using them.

Linux containers are, well, the best container for microservices. Containers give your microservice-based apps the best environment to run in. Containers give you more freedom and confidence, from development to production, since they include a lightweight runtime environment for your application. They also make fine-grained execution, isolation, and security possible. This lets you take better advantage of hardware and easily orchestrate services, including storage, networking, and security.