Monolithic Architecture Is The Traditional Model Of Application Software Development.

Microservices, the word integrated, means combining all components into a single concept.

It should be explained that the Cambridge dictionary has defined the monolithic adjective as “very large” and “unchangeable,” which is in perfect agreement with its practical nature in the software world.

An integrated architecture for software development

Integrated software is designed to be self-contained, In the sense that the components or functions of the program are connected in an integrated way instead of following the pattern of free connection like modular software programs.

In integrated architecture, all components must be pre-written and ready to run the code or compile and run the software. Integrated applications are single-layer; This means that several elements in one program are combined and have large code bases. Databases that are complex and difficult to manage over time.

Figure 1 shows the compiler’s steps for an integrated program to be compiled and usable. Integrated architecture is the traditional approach to developing and deploying applications in production or web environments.

In general, web applications consist of the following three main components:

• Front-end section: forms the website’s appearance and is written using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS technologies.
• Backend: The skeleton forms a web application placed on servers and written in languages ​​such as PHP, Python, Java, or Node. JS.
• Database: A space that stores data related to the application.

These three components are in entire interact with each other. Hence, they are based on integrated design; In the sense that a web-based program works as a whole nature or integrated and independent; the three mentioned parts are not separate.

figure 1

An example of a program based on an integrated architecture

To understand integrated architecture, let’s take the example of a banking application. Imagine a web-based banking application that allows customers to open accounts and transfer money from one account to another online. This program relies on various interrelated components to provide such services. Among the essential elements in this field, we should mention the client interface, user authentication services, bill download, money transfer, encryption, etc.

In a unified architecture, regardless of how the customer uses an application, it is built and executed as a single application. Therefore, whether users are accessing the application from a desktop or a mobile device, the application is available to the user as a unified concept.

To be more precise, all components and modules are directly related. Also, it uses a relational database management system as a single data source for information storage.

If any of the program’s components need to be changed, the entire structure and the details should be reviewed to ensure that the program works without problems.

Critical components of integrated programs

As we mentioned, integrated architecture is the traditional approach to developing and deploying applications in production environments or web space. Typically, applications have similar components and structures that can be seen in different applications. Programs based on integrated architecture also have various connected components but not independent of each other; all of them can execute in the form of a general structure.

 Among the essential components in this field, the following should be mentioned:

• Permission: Allows users to access and use the application.
• Presentation: Responsible for handling Hypertext Transfer Protocol requests and displaying the response in Hypertext Markup Language, Extended Markup Language, and JavaScript Object Markup.
• Business logic: Defines the business and underlying reason for the application and the application features on which the application is developed in such a way that the application provides the best performance.
• Database layer: hosts the objects that provide access to the data in the database. More precisely, it allows the application to communicate with the database.
• Integrator component: controls and manages the integration of the application and its integration with other services or data sources.
• Front-end section: forms the appearance of the website or application and is written using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS technologies.
• Back-end section: The skeleton forms a program placed on servers and written in languages ​​such as PHP, Python, Java, C#, Node.JS, etc.

In addition, some applications may provide modules for monitoring application performance and ways for users to communicate with the development team. These components are entirely related to each other and are developed based on integrated architecture.

Advantages of integrated architecture

Integrated architecture offers significant advantages that have made some applications be developed based on this paradigm. For example, in some cases, integrated applications provide better throughput than modular applications. Also, their testing and debugging process are more straightforward because developers face fewer elements, variables, and test scenarios.

At the beginning of the software development life cycle, integrated architecture offers easy coding because the development process is not particularly complicated at the beginning. For example, developers can define a single codebase for logging in, managing settings, monitoring application performance, etc.

Also, deployment can be done by packaging and copying the application to a server. Integrated architecture is suitable for simple applications that are not supposed to handle complex tasks. But it is not ideal for more complex applications where code changes are unavoidable or business requirements make developers think about application scalability.

Other advantages of integrated architecture include the following:

•  In the integrated design, all the components are located in the application, increasing the source code and the program’s size.
• Integrated programs have a specific format, and there is no need to break the different functions of the program into separate modules. Because various departments have a direct relationship, there is no problem regarding compatibility, cooperation, interaction, etc.
•  The process of debugging and testing integrated applications is simple. Since these application models have a unified nature, they simplify the process of conducting software quality tests. More precisely, running comprehensive tests on them is more accessible than microservices-based software. In addition, monitoring application performance and managing resource usage is more straightforward in integrated applications than in microservices-based applications.
•  Deploying integrated applications is simply because your application is not made up of different services, and there is no need to deploy other parts separately. To be more precise, deploying the application on the server with the aim of users accessing it is simple.
•  They provide a simple development mechanism. Because integrated architecture has been used for many years, it is recognized as an industry standard in software and the web, and almost all developers and programmers are familiar with it.

Disadvantages of integrated architecture

In general, integrated architectures have a series of inherent problems that delay the development process of powerful software and its deployment. These problems become more complicated when the complexity of the product increases or the development team grows.

Understanding the code of an integrated program can be difficult, as programmers may be faced with a large volume of code that will take time to understand. This makes it difficult for new developers to make changes to the code to meet business or technical requirements. As requirements evolve or become more complex, it is challenging to implement changes correctly without disrupting the application’s performance or reducing its quality.

After each update, developers must compile the code. They must gather and deploy the entire application instead of collecting the updated part. As a result, the continuous or regular deployment process will be hard work, negatively affecting the program’s agility and the team.

The size of an application based on integrated architecture increases over time, which increases the time it takes to read it from disk and load it into memory. In some cases, different application parts may require system resources simultaneously, making it challenging to obtain the necessary resources.

In addition to limited scalability, reliability is another concern surrounding embedded software.

An error in any of the components may disrupt the program’s performance. This bug can crash the entire program and make it unavailable for all users. Taking the banking application example, suppose a memory leak is found in the user authorization module.

Because of their size and complexity, integrated applications may not adapt quickly to new technologies. A change in the framework or programming language can affect the entire application’s performance; This issue makes adopting new technologies time-consuming and costly. Small companies may not have the budget or staff to update the application, so they may end up sticking with the status quo and potentially being unable to use a new language or framework.

These disadvantages have led many organizations to move from monolithic architectures to Microservices Architecture (MSA) because it offers brilliant benefits. Figure 2 shows the difference between these two paradigms.

figure 2

What is microservice architecture?

Microservice architecture is the opposite of monolithic architecture, which considers the application as a whole entity. The application is divided into different and small parts in a microservice architecture. In the mentioned architecture, each of the essential functions of the application is defined as a service. Therefore, each has its logic and database and performs a specific task. In the above architecture, when we talk about smaller parts, we refer to independent modules that have a separate deployment process and run independently of each other but communicate with each other through APIs.

Advantages of microservices architecture

The microservice architecture supports modular applications, where each module in a system, such as a service, can operate independently without affecting other parts of the application or making unforeseen changes to other elements.

Compared to integrated programs, modular programs relate well to repeatable development processes and are more compatible with standard programming methodologies such as “agile.” Also, they are more scalable, and due to the unique communication mechanism that is going on between different components, they allow the testing of modules separately. These modules have communication channels to communicate with each other, have their database, and increase program startup speed.

One of the critical features of microservice architecture is its high scalability. So that we can update and upgrade each of the services separately, which results in significant savings in financial resources, in integrated architecture, we must review and compile all the programs and even intact parts whenever we make a change. Still, in a microservice architecture, we collect only the changed amount. Figure 3 shows the above architecture.

Figure 3

They do. As we mentioned, the integrated architecture is mainly closed to accepting new technologies and innovations, but this is not the case in the microservice architecture because we use different technologies and tools to develop each module, which solves the problem of dependence on a specific technology. Also, because the services are connected through application programming interfaces, it is possible to use different libraries and frameworks in coding web-based and desktop applications.

Finally, programs based on microservices architecture have a high fault tolerance threshold because each component works independently; the program’s performance is not entirely disrupted if it encounters a problem.

Which architecture should we use?

Microservices architecture is based on providing short, self-contained services that developers can build, extend, and scale independently. This issue has led some microservices fans to declare that the era of integrated architecture is over. However, despite the many attractions microservices offer, the monolithic architecture style is still used. Developers can use both architectures in software projects, but before choosing any of the above architectures, it is better to consider some considerations.

An integrated strategy may be a good option if your application is not that complex. For example, startup teams are suggested to use integrated architecture for application development because it is possible without in-depth knowledge. If the application is not too big and you plan to create it quickly, the integrated architecture is the right choice.

Also, sometimes an application is simple enough that it doesn’t need heavy and complex operations, so you don’t need to involve yourself in microservices architecture hassles.

Also, keep in mind that building microservices applications requires technical knowledge, and developing a project based on this architecture without any work experience is risky.

Therefore, as long as your application is not complex and you do not have enough knowledge to manage it, it is better not to use microservices architecture.

Working with a microservices architecture can become a nightmare if the team does not have the right skills. If a team’s developers are used to the integrated programming paradigm, migrating to the new paradigm will take time. And if the change is not a problem from a business perspective, it is better to let the developers start learning the new architecture.

An integrated application creates barriers to managing the code base in the context of continuous deployment or adding new features. An integrated application can only scale in one dimension; as the volume of changes increases, you must build multiple versions of the application.

Imagine working on a complex project with a team that lives in different cities. A microservices architecture makes more sense because it’s more cost-effective, and you can seamlessly manage and scale the application. Unlike monolithic applications, microservices applications are not tied to or revolve around the technology stack.

last word

Compare the advantages of monolithic architecture with the benefits of microservices before making a final decision on the desired architecture. It’s best to follow this rule of thumb: Only go for a microservices architecture when you’re sure you need to build a complex system to build, deploy, scale, and manage as a single application, and everything else needs to be simple to design.