<Exploring the Continued Relevance of Monolithic Architecture>
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In this article, we will delve into Monolithic Architecture and explore its ongoing utility in contemporary software projects.
Through this discussion, we aim to understand Monolithic Architecture, alongside its Benefits and Challenges, while also focusing on designing an E-Commerce application based on this architecture.
Architecture Design Journey
Over the years, various approaches and patterns have emerged in software development, each offering its own set of advantages and challenges.
As we gather requirements, we can advance to the learning phase of architectural designs. We began by examining existing strategies for architecting our e-commerce application, with a view to evolving towards microservices. To grasp cloud-native microservices, it is essential to first understand what monolithic applications entail and how transitioning from a monolithic structure to microservices occurs.
Given our application needs, starting with a simple and basic architecture is advisable. Since we aim to develop a small e-commerce application that will handle a limited number of concurrent users and requests per second, opting for Monolithic Architecture appears to be a sound choice.
In this learning phase, we will cover:
- Monolithic Architecture
- When to utilize Monolithic Architecture
- Advantages of Monolithic Architecture
- Drawbacks of Monolithic Architecture
Understanding Monolithic Architecture
Monolithic architecture represents a traditional approach to software development, characterized by designing and developing a complete application as a single unit. For instance, a conventional application typically includes a frontend, API, services, load balancer, and database. When all these components are developed together and deployed on a server, it is referred to as a monolithic architecture, where services are closely interconnected.
Most legacy applications are generally built using a monolithic architecture. If all functionalities of an application exist within a single codebase, it is classified as a monolithic application. In this pattern, all aspects—from user interface to business logic and data access—are consolidated into one codebase.
In a monolithic setup, all application components are incorporated into a single large deployment. Although monolithic applications can be organized into various layers, such as presentation, business, and data, they are ultimately deployed as a single jar/war file.
While developing an application using monolithic architecture might seem regressive in terms of architectural progression, it can still be the best choice in certain scenarios, especially when strong consistency is required.
Numerous benefits accompany the monolithic approach, which will be discussed in subsequent articles. However, some key advantages and disadvantages include:
- The ease of starting a project due to a unified codebase, facilitating debugging and monitoring of business interactions across modules.
- A significant drawback is the tendency for the codebase to become excessively large over time, complicating management.
- Challenges in collaborating on the same codebase simultaneously.
- Difficulty in implementing new features on large legacy monolithic applications.
- Any modifications necessitate redeploying the entire application.
Why is Monolithic Architecture Still Relevant?
Monolithic architecture continues to be a prominent topic in software development because it offers a simple and straightforward method for constructing applications. In this architecture, all application components are integrated into a single, tightly-coupled codebase, simplifying the processes of development, testing, and deployment. This clarity also enhances the understanding of data flow and control within the system, potentially leading to faster development cycles for smaller applications.
However, as applications expand in size and complexity, maintaining and scaling a monolithic architecture can pose challenges. The tightly-coupled nature of the codebase makes it difficult to update individual components without impacting the entire system, which can result in increased downtime during deployments.
Despite these hurdles, many organizations still prefer monolithic architecture, particularly for small to medium-sized applications, due to its simplicity and ease of development. Furthermore, the rising interest in microservices has sparked renewed attention towards monolithic architecture as a reference point.
Monolithic vs. Microservices Architecture
Choosing between monolithic and microservices architecture is a prevalent consideration in software architecture, as it fundamentally influences the design, development, and maintenance of a software system.
It is valuable to consider insights from industry experts.
Insights from Chris Richardson
Continuing with a tweet from Chris Richardson:
He emphasizes that no architecture is perfect, and all styles are simply architectural patterns; none is inherently superior to another.
Insights from DHH
Next, let’s look at another tweet from DHH:
DHH and Kelsey both agree that Monolithic architecture remains a valid option in the 2020s. This indicates that we should regard monolithic architecture on par with microservices architecture when designing our applications.
The key takeaway is to select the architecture that meets your application’s non-functional requirements, such as scalability and availability. While many aspire to create highly scalable and available systems, as a software architect, you must evaluate whether such complexity is necessary for your application.
This helps avoid unnecessary costs and resources, as well as prevents over-engineering. Implementing an advanced architecture for a simple problem can lead to anti-pattern implementations, negating the benefits of simplicity in development, debugging, and deployment.
Insights from Kelsey Hightower
Next, let’s review a tweet thread from Kelsey Hightower:
Kelsey suggests that adopting a Modular Monolithic Architecture built on Serverless and fully managed components could be the ideal architecture for many software projects.
I concur with Kelsey in many scenarios, but it’s essential to acknowledge that in some instances, microservices are unavoidable for large-scale applications. Kelsey’s main idea is that starting with this configuration allows for easy evolution and scalability to meet future needs.
Following this article, you can explore:
- When to use Monolithic Architecture
- Benefits and Challenges of Monolithic Architecture
- Step-by-Step Design of Monolithic Architecture for E-Commerce Applications
Alternatively, you can learn more about microservices:
- Macro-services to Nano-services: Evolution of Software Architecture
- Microservices Architecture: Problems and Solutions with Patterns and Principles
Step-by-Step Design Architectures with Course
I have just released a new course — Design Microservices Architecture with Patterns & Principles.
In this course, we will learn how to design Microservices Architecture by utilizing Design Patterns, Principles, and Best Practices. We will begin with the design transition from Monolithic to Event-Driven Microservices step by step, employing the appropriate architectural design patterns and techniques.