Scalability is the most important feature that a web developer has to keep in mind before developing any new web application. A web application must be solid enough to handle an increased user load. This is where scalability comes into play.
A web application that is successful must have high performance and be designed to accommodate a significant increase in users and traffic without experiencing any service disruptions.
Scalability also means an application’s ability to maintain its performance while additional resources are added or removed. In low-scalable systems, adding resources only leads to a small increase in productivity. On the contrary, a scalable application can seamlessly handle a rise or fall in load without any downtime.
One can build web applications in two ways. The first is by using a monolithic application and the second is by using a microservices architecture. When we evaluate monolithic architecture vs microservices architecture, we come to the finding that although working on a monolithic application is simpler, a microservice architecture is better for dealing with more complex problems and making dynamic applications.
Building a scalable web application will be easier with the help of microservices architecture. Read on to know more about the advantages of microservices architecture and how to use it to build web applications!
What is a scalable web application?
A scalable web app manages more users and loads without harming the user experience. It handles sudden or gradual increases in requests. Nevertheless, before scaling, it is advisable to check scaling metrics and cost. These factors essentially decide if scaling is possible and reasonable.
What are microservices?
Microservices architecture is a design approach that involves breaking down large software applications into smaller and independently functioning units. This approach was developed in response to the limitations of monolithic architecture, which is inflexible and unreliable due to its all-encompassing nature.
Microservices, on the other hand, allow for each unit to be deployed and managed independently while still being able to communicate with each other as needed. This approach enables developers to create more scalable, flexible, and sophisticated software applications. Giants like Amazon, PayPal, and eBay greatly rely on microservices architecture.
What are the advantages of microservices architecture?
There are several reasons why companies largely rely on microservices architecture. Here is a brief account of some of them:
Flexibility
Microservices architecture is flexible. It enables users to try out new technology stacks on services. This approach minimizes dependency and eases the process of undoing changes. Apart from this, having fewer lines of code for each service provides more flexibility.
Scalability
Each microservice carries out an independent operation. Thus it is easier to make changes as and when required. One can add, remove, update, or scale individual cloud microservices at any point in time. Web Developers can perform these tasks without affecting any other microservices in the system which makes it easier to maintain and update the application as a whole. Thus, companies can scale each microservice independently based on the smallest needs whenever they want.
Simplicity
Microservices architecture enables teams to deploy independent applications without impacting any other services within the architecture. This feature helps developers add new features or update older ones without rewriting the entire system structure. Due to its simple nature, businesses can efficiently add new features as required using a microservices architecture.
Better fault isolation
One of the advantages of microservices architecture is that it’s easy to isolate the component causing an issue since the entire application is divided into standalone units. If an error occurs in one unit, the other non-related units will still continue to function, which makes it easier to identify and fix the issue without affecting the rest of the system.
Improved costs
Microservices architecture increases efficiency. Microservices can lower infrastructure costs and also reduce downtime to a significant extent. Thus companies can avoid the need to invest in expensive hardware and equipment by using decoupled services. This approach leads to huge savings and greater flexibility.
How to develop web applications using microservices architecture?
There are a few foolproof ways of developing web applications using microservices. Take note of the following factors while building a scalable web application:
- Do not try to improve scalability without good reason and justification for expenses. Collect data to verify your web app can support growth. Check metrics like the number of users, their increase rate, and expected future growth. Assess the storage plan’s flexibility for data size changes. Prepare contingency options for sudden traffic surges. Evaluate these factors to decide if you need scalability improvements.
- Memory utilization, CPU usage, network input/output, and disk input/output are crucial metrics to consider. RAM usage is measured in memory utilization. App-monitoring tools measure CPU usage. Network input/output tracks data transfer time. Disk input/output is all the operations on a physical disk. Use these metrics to find the reason for scalability issues. Develop solutions to address the root cause of scalability issues.
- Pick the right infrastructure for scalability. It ensures your web app performs well with higher traffic and workload. Assess your current infrastructure to find its capacity, performance, and limitations. Identify the areas that need to improve and support scalability.
- Choose a suitable database for building your application. Pick a suitable database for your app. Your choice of database depends on your company’s needs. For structured data, use a database management system like MySQL or PostgreSQL. For unstructured data, consider using MongoDB.
- Pick the right frameworks to help with scaling. Django and Ruby on Rails and microservices architecture in Java is popular for building scalable web apps. Node.js is another framework that can handle complexity. Node.js suits real-time data processing and heavy input/output operations for web apps.
Conclusion
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