The concept of microservices has gained popularity as a modern and flexible way to develop systems. However, as Martin Fowler said:
"The term 'microservice' is a label, not a description."
- Martin Fowler`
The trouble starts when the prefix "micro" is taken literally, leading teams to create overly fragmented, complex, and hard-to-maintain services. More important than size is the proper design of boundaries and service autonomy.
Beyond the Label
When we talk about microservices, the first image that comes to mind is of small, distributed chunks of code. But delivering real value requires careful design and execution.
If poorly applied, microservices can turn into a distributed monolith - with tight coupling, hard-to-manage dependencies, and complexity that grows exponentially.
To avoid this, some key principles should guide the design:
Clear boundaries: each service should represent a specific domain or subdomain, avoiding overlapping responsibilities.
Well-defined context: draw from Domain-Driven Design to ensure business rules are isolated and consistent.
True independence: each service should be developed, tested, deployed, and scaled independently, without being blocked by other teams or systems.
Single-team ownership: each service should be managed by only one team, ensuring clear responsibility and faster decision-making.
Following these principles, microservices stop being just "small bits of code" and become truly independent components, owned and managed by a single, cross-functional team, making them easier to maintain, scale, and evolve.
Conclusion
The "micro" in microservices is not about size, but about focus and independence. By thinking in terms of clear boundaries, well-defined context, and autonomy, we create systems that deliver more value to the domain and its users - without falling into the trap of excessive fragmentation.
More than following a trend, it's about applying a design that enables sustainable growth, simplified maintenance, and rapid evolution.
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