Microservices is currently one of the trending approaches to Java app development. Here, every service is created and launched independently. Moreover, microservices use APIs for communication to perform their functions effectively.
At an individual level, every microservice is an application in itself. All of them are loosely coupled together to form a large Java app. Although it is easy to manage such apps, there are a few complications inherent to this architectural pattern of microservices.
But the good news is that you can mitigate them easily by adopting best practices for Java microservices development. Businesses can not only eliminate all architectural issues but can also avail some added benefits with effective implementation of microservices development best practices.
Therefore, in this blog, we offer some effective tips on how to move forward. They are proven in the field and hence adopted as industry best practices. They can surely help you devoid your microservices of architectural complications.
Microservices Best Practices for Java Development
Single Responsibility Principle
One of the best programming principles introduced by Roger Martin is the Single Responsibility Principle. This concept states that every object in object-oriented programming has a specific function to perform.
Your software can be scalable and maintainable if, like its code, its class would only need a single reason for change. Therefore, if you want to adopt the Single Responsibility Principle in software development then you need to ensure that every module and class in your code has not assigned multiple functions and has a clearly defined single responsibility.
Additionally, you need to decouple all your modules. To establish effective communication between them, you are allowed to use clear and concise interfaces.
To create a good architectural design where each function, class, microservice, subsystem, or module does not have more than one reason to change, the Single Responsibility Principle proves to be the most effective and necessary best practice.
Teams with clear responsibilities
Next Java microservices best practice on the list is to create teams with clear responsibilities. There are many ways to do it. You can build cross-functional teams, role-based teams, and more. After all, in the microservices architecture, every microservice works independently. Hence, every team must be adaptable to manage their operations.
Having role-based teams means database admins, front-end developers, back-end developers, UI/UX developers, QAs, and others work independently from each other in different teams. They might get together regularly either in person or through communication channels to discuss their work and how it can help them achieve their common goal.
In case any bugs or issues appear in the system, they can be resolved with SCRUM solutions. This also reduces the time of unawareness. However, there is a problem with role-based teams when it comes to integrations.
Let's say the server team and UI/UX team have to work on the same API to make it functional. But if one team doesn't convey what changes they have made in the API to another team, progress isn't possible on the matter. If in any case, miscommunication happens between both teams, there will be considerable waste of time and resources.
But if you have cross-functional teams with clearly assigned responsibilities, producing work through teams will be easier.
Here, every cross-functional team will bear the responsibility of a single microservice functionality. The team will include every member it would need for the development, deployment, and maintenance of that functionality may it be UI developers, QA analysts, or a database admin.
Let's say your app will be launched on both web and mobile platforms then you have to include all the developers in the team that can help you achieve that cross-platform functionality of the application. The major benefit of a cross-functional team is that creating, testing, and launching new functionalities becomes quick and easy.
Keep your communication Asynchronous
In microservices, there are two types of communication; Synchronous and Asynchronous.
In synchronous communication, a predetermined sequence of steps must be followed to complete a function. As in an eCommerce platform, you have to visit a product page, add it to the cart, enter your address, pay for it, and take a series of other steps until your order arrives at your doorstep.
Only after completing the current step successfully, will the process move on to the next one. And the process will only function in the sequence in which it is predetermined. In this case, one microservice will be dependent on another one. When you follow such a sequence, it usually takes very long to complete a task.
Meanwhile, in asynchronous communication, every microservice is independent. So, every microservice will work simultaneously to complete its tasks and in that way, your task will be completed quickly.
So developers are recommended to use async communication with microservices. It not only reduces the dependency but also improves the overall efficiency of your Java microservices app.
DevSecOps for microservices
In any software architecture, security remains the most critical aspect. Microservices have become an ideal option for native cloud app development. The reason behind it is its continuous integration and continuous delivery process. DevSecOps practices need to be implemented to enhance the security of these processes.
In a microservices-based application, there are different types of codes as mentioned below:
App code, also known as core logic.
App service code which includes session establishment, network connections, and more.
Infrastructure including the platforms, data storage, and more.
Monitoring i.e. continuous observation of the app.
Development, Security, and Operations are the three concepts blended in this model that facilitate primitives like continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment pipelines to the different types of codes of the application.
These pipelines act as a workflow for various operations such as developing, testing, and deploying the source codes and more, supported by an automated tool that uses feedback mechanisms.
Additionally, DevSecOps practices enable developers to write better and secure code quickly. There are many advantages of implementing DevSecOps practices in a microservices architecture. They are as mentioned below:
Deliver high-quality software
Ensure strengthened security
Improves the speed of the operations
Reduces the vulnerabilities in the code
Enhanced productivity
Separate data store for every microservice
As is the practice in monolith architecture, to save multiple services in the same database, do not do the same with microservices architecture. Keep each microservice and its data in a separate database.
An in-depth analysis states that each microservice works only with a single subset of the database tables. When two subsets of the data are found to be orthogonal then each microservice would need a separate database.
Having a separate database not only reduces the latency but also enhances the security of the overall application. After all, it shouldn't be stressed enough that from the security point of view, microservices should depend on each other as little as possible to perform their functions.
As it is with the database service pattern, the data of every microservice will be private. That’s one of the major characteristics of microservices architecture. A shared database server could only be used for multiple services if it provides logical separation of the data.
Microservices Orchestration
If you want to succeed in both tooling and process then you must orchestrate your microservices properly. Many use Docker for running containers on a virtual machine. The resilience you get with it is much lower in comparison to the resilience you can get using a container orchestration platform.
And if you make such a mistake while adopting microservices architecture then it can hurt your uptime. Some of the reliable orchestration platforms that most developers prefer to use include:
Azure Container Applications
Kubernetes
Amazon Elastic Container Services
Azure Kubernetes Services
Various operations like network communication concerns, scaling, load balancing, container deployment, handling container provisioning and more can be performed effectively using these orchestration platforms.
Effective monitoring
Adapting microservices architecture enables you to conduct a huge scaling operation for multiple modular services.
However, when you are handling hundreds if not thousands of services, you need to keep an eye on them to check if they are functioning as per expectations or not. You need to look out if they aren't draining resources more than necessary.
And if your expectations aren't fulfilled, then based on your observation and analysis, you have to take some appropriate actions
Let's consider a scenario where you have built and deployed a microservice. It might be functional but it isn't capable of handling any user requests. In this case, if you have an effective monitoring system then it would alert you the moment your microservice runs out of database connections.
Moreover, the moment your microservice failed, the monitoring system would have started routing the requests to another similar functioning microservice.
Monitoring your microservices architecture and regularly getting updated reports will help you make an informed decision as well as keep your service modules ready to work whenever needed. Some of the popular and widely used monitoring tools for microservices are as mentioned below:
AWS CloudWatch
Jaeger
Datagod
Graphite
Prometheus
Conclusion
By utilizing the capabilities of Java and following the microservices' best practices, developers can create robust and elegant apps that can fulfill modern market demands. Best Practices for Java Microservices Development empowers businesses to thrive in this competitive and dynamic digital landscape.