App Architectures: SOA vs Microservices

The best way to develop and deploy applications proves to be an important consideration for any data-driven organization today. Therefore, options such as service-oriented architecture (SOA) and microservices offer valuable flexibility to build and run applications that the traditional monolithic approaches don’t. The SOA vs microservices debate is the most common among the most common debates one tends to face in the IT world, this is true especially since the market is all about agility, microservices, and more. However, it could pose to be difficult & understand the differences between the two to identify what is best for the business.

To start with, microservices combine distinct, single-purpose services while SOA offers a group of modular services that “talk” together to support applications and their deployment. And, while the two approaches have critical differences in architecture, component sharing, data governance, communication & other elements it is essential to determine which situation each method is best used for, and how it could impact the overall business. The SOA vs microservices is among the most common debates one tends to face in the IT world, especially since the market is all about agility, microservices, and whatnot. Now, the fact remains that these two architecture types are essentially distinctive and warrant use in significantly different cases. So, if you too have been trying to decide between the two, here is a quick guide to help you make an informed decision:

SOA: A software development tenet, the SOA architecture involves the use of different app components from different apps within an organization to facilitate enterprise development.

a. Security: SOA enables an improvement in data confidentiality, consequently also boosting reliability. SOA testing also lends considerable assistance in this regard.

b. Ease of updates: Thanks to SOA’s loose coupling, development teams find it that much easier to update existing services, add new services, etc.

Microservices: This particular type of app architecture includes specialized and reusable components which generally operate independently from one another.

a. Scalability: Apps based on the microservices architecture are simpler, agile, and also quite simple to scale, especially since not all components have to be necessarily scaled altogether.

b. Better fault tolerance: Since it comprises independent components, microservices are not only more easy to upgrade but also make sure that the failure of one service does not take down the entire app.

Now that we have had a quick look at what each of these solutions is about individually, let us now compare the two development architectures.

1. Fault tolerance: The failure of even one of an enterprise service bus (ESB) functionality can result in that particular service being blocked. Under SOA, ESB can be rendered a single point of failure which can take a toll on the entire app’s ability to function. Whereas with the microservices architecture, the services are independent in their functionality, thus making this architecture type more resistant to faults.
2. Granularity: Any given architecture comprises a whole lot of different components — this means the granularity of each of these components can and does play a crucial role in the overall scheme of things. Anyway, the microservice architecture gets smaller components as compared to the ones you will find in SOA. However, it must also be noted that SOA may get bigger and have fewer components, but they do not fare too well when it comes to granularity.
3. API layer: We will get straight to business: the service-oriented architecture is inclusive of the messaging middleware which, in turn, is tasked with the responsibility for the management of protocol transformation and routing among other things. The microservices architecture, on the other hand, comprises the API layer which is aimed at facilitating communication between the services and the users.

Each of the aforementioned architecture types brings its unique set of benefits and advantages to the table. So, how does one go about deciding between service-oriented architecture and microservices? Well, besides comparing each of their provisions and benefits against your unique requirements, it may also help to factor in their unique applications and use cases in the real world. For example, for bigger and more intricate environments, experts recommend SOA, while relatively smaller environments, such as web apps, can make do with microservices. Either way, the final call will have to be a carefully analyzed decision based on the company’s expectations and requirements.