Serverless Approach and Microservices Are An Evolving Software Development Trend in 2020
To be able to adapt to current market trends, save money, and advance beyond their competitors, many modern companies are choosing to move away from monolithic solutions. Now, they are moving to microservices and adopting a “serverless-first” approach. Should your business adopt the serverless approach and move from monolith to microservices? In this article, we’ll define these terms, how they impact businesses, and help you determine if this is the right move for your business.
Software Architecture: The Difference Between Monolithic Solutions and Microservices
Before we compare these two solutions, let’s define each one.
A monolithic solution is a single suite of software or a system that addresses all business needs. These solutions perform each individual step that goes into executing a function for a business. Apps created with monolithic solutions are some of the longest-standing apps that exist today. Applications that exist on monolithic architecture include many CRMs, payment processing programs and call center systems.
Many companies built their legacy systems on monolithic architecture. These apps involve a complex development process, but they also behave predictably. These systems are created as one unit, so everything is built to work together under “one umbrella”. In contrast, modern companies are ditching this architecture because it makes it difficult to adapt to the market.
How do microservices compare? Microservices are a concept that shows the evolution of technology and software development. According to the Global Serverless Architecture Market report by MarketResearch.biz, the serverless architecture market is expected to grow to 14 billion dollars by 2024.
To implement microservices, developers break down a businesses’ old system architecture into small functions that work independently to solve complex problems. Microservices are self-contained and serve one function. For example, verifying information from a customer is one task that could be executed by a microservice. In the end, all of these small services come together to integrate multiple systems. In general, this performs much better in comparison to a single, outdated program.
For example, a company could break down their invoicing process into parts that individual microservices would handle. Here’s a look at what that could look like:
- Taking information from an API create an invoice
- Finding the client in the database
- Building an invoice document
- Creating a record of the invoice
- Sending an invoice to the recipient
Software Development Trends 2019: The Serverless Approach
Serverless computing is becoming more and more popular and is one of the hottest software development trends in 2019. According to a survey from New Relic’s ebook, Achieving Serverless Success with Dynamic Cloud and DevOps, 43 percent of enterprises that can run and manage strategic workloads in the cloud are also using serverless technology.
That said, there’s much more to know about the serverless approach. First, this term can be misleading, as it doesn’t mean companies that adopt this are computing without servers. Serverless computing does actually still require servers.
The difference is really in the way the company is billed. Using a serverless approach, the computing service takes input, gives the desired output and then shuts down. You only pay for what you use. For that reason, a serverless approach can be more accurately called function as a service (FaaS).
The Origin of The Serverless Approach
Now you may be wondering: where did the serverless approach come from? While this isn’t an entirely new approach, the popularity began to rise in 2016. This is when Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambada launched. The serverless approach employed with Lambada has been accepted by many. Today, AWS competitors are rushing to catch up to Amazon in the cloud computing space.
The reason why the serverless approach is being adopted by companies like Amazon, Netflix, Uber, Apple and beyond is simple. In order to stay on top, businesses have to be able to roll out new features on a regular basis, without extended disruptions to service. The serverless approach makes this possible.
According to the Amazon Web Services WhitepaperWhilepaper called “Benefits of Microservices”, the main motivators behind picking a microservices architecture are:
- Agility
- Innovation
- Quality
- Scalability
- Availability
Walmart is another great example of a company that made the switch to microservices. According to Baseline, Walmart has used microservices to completely change the way they manage IT, scale their e-commerce operations and become more agile. They spoke with Tim Kimmet, former VP of Platform & Systems to learn the following:
“Walmart is making use of open-source technologies such as Node.js and Cassandra databases to make it possible to construct various applications using thousands of microservices that can be dynamically invoked using well-defined application programming interfaces (APIs).”
Walmart’s goal in this venture was to make it easier for application developers to work on business units to reduce dependency on centralized IT. Walmart Labs now reports that its sales growth has skyrocketed, and more than 30,000 changes are happening inside of Walmart software each month.
When we boil it down, the term microservices refers to the way code gets structured and a serverless approach delivers different capabilities that come with implementing microservices. These two concepts are not mutually exclusive, but it’s important to understand both what they are and how they function as a unit.
What’s the right choice for companies who hire software development companies?
Not sure what approach is right for your business? Here are some things to consider:
Scaling Entire Processes
The biggest benefit that comes with a serverless approach is the ability to scale. This is especially important for startups and companies that are growing quickly. This approach will allow you to only pay for what you use, making it a cost-effective model that adjusts to the flow of your business.
Streamlining Operations
Operations are one of the factors that force businesses to weigh the pros and cons of these approaches. Monolithic solutions are seen as outdated, but they are also easy to operate and predictable. The downside here is that making changes or adding functions to this system can range from difficult to nearly impossible. On the other side, microservices are a lot more complex in terms of operation. There are a lot of moving parts that have to work well together for the system to perform as it should. In this case, it’s a lot easier to misstep.
Speed of Development
Implementing microservices and a serverless approach requires developers to work in multiple iterations. Often, coding each individual component is simple. On the flip side, there’s a bit more work that goes into making sure that all components are compatible with each other.
Wrapping Up
The bottom line is that all architectures and approaches have their time and place. However, if you’re looking to be more agile and adapt to the current needs of the market, making the switch to microservices is likely the best choice for you. When you leverage the capabilities of the serverless approach and microservices, you gain the flexibility you need to keep an eye on costs while providing new features that help you keep up with the competition. That said, what you decide should depend on what you’re providing to the market and what will work best for your particular needs. Do you have thoughts on monolithic solutions, microservices, and the software development trends in 2019? Let us know by leaving a comment. Want to learn more or need help implementing what we’ve described above? Get in touch with our experts today.
In 2019, the serverless approach and microservices are software development trends. Stay ahead of the curve, and get in touch with me to learn more.
