Microservices and the First Law of Distributed Objects (2014)
3 days ago
- #Distributed Systems
- #Microservices
- #Software Architecture
- The First Law of Distributed Object Design advises against distributing objects due to inherent differences between in-process and remote calls.
- Microservices differ from distributed objects by advocating coarse-grained interactions over HTTP or messaging, not aiming for transparency between in-process and remote calls.
- Distributed systems introduce complexity, such as handling remote call failures, performance issues, and the challenges of asynchronous communication.
- Microservices can simplify reasoning about individual services but may increase complexity in inter-service communication and refactoring across remote boundaries.
- The author prefers monolithic designs by default but acknowledges the empirical success of microservices in organizations like Netflix and Amazon.
- The debate between microservices and monoliths lacks definitive evidence, with success stories on both sides and no clear long-term comparisons.
- The author emphasizes the importance of clear communication about architectural lessons to help readers make informed decisions.