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Microservices

 This week, we read an article called Microservices by James Lewis and Martin Fowler, which did a great job explaining the differences between monolithic applications and those that run on microservices (and the ones that use a little bit of both). They explained the advantages and pitfalls of implementing any of these methods, and they conclude that while microservice-based applications seem promising, it's still too early to tell whether they'll be better than monolithic ones. Luckily for us, this article was published in 2014, and we're far enough in the future to know that they are, in fact, more widely used today.

Before reading this article, I was already aware of these different types of applications, and I knew that the market had a preference towards microservice applications, but I hadn't realized how much this change had affected how businesses are run today. From personal experience, I belong to a cross-functional (XFN) team that dabbles in many different products, all of which are owned by somewhat-small teams. And while modifying the code, it's very clear that everything is very modular, which makes it easier to work with if you're not too familiar with the product.

However, I do also agree with their opinion regarding the team's skill level. I wouldn't consider myself to be too skillful as a software engineer just yet, since I'm still starting out and have a lot to learn. For this reason, it's sometimes hard to move between different products, because just as I'm getting familiarized with one of them, my time there ends and I have to move to another, which sometimes includes a new language altogether. 

I would have to agree, seeing the success of the businesses who have adopted this kind of application development, that in an environment like ours, with constant innovation and continuous delivery, it makes sense to switch over to a microservice-based approach, but it is important for companies to consider its implications and take the necessary steps to reduce risks involved with them. 

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