Managing microservices means managing parallelism and concurrency

Luigi Poderico
3 min readMay 15, 2023

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Martin Fowler is a well-known software engineer and author who has written extensively on software architecture and design. He has written about microservices and their benefits and drawbacks. In one of his articles, he states that microservices can be problematic if they are not used in the right context¹. However, he also believes that microservices can be beneficial when used correctly².

(1) Martin Fowler Was Right: Microservices Suck* | by Attila Vágó | May …. https://levelup.gitconnected.com/martin-fowler-was-right-microservices-suck-573bbf09a0fd.
(2) Microservices Guide — Martin Fowler. https://www.martinfowler.com/microservices/.
(3) What is the strangler pattern and how does it work? | TechTarget. https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/tip/A-detailed-intro-to-the-strangler-pattern.

What is software architecture?

Software architecture is the process of designing and creating a software system. It involves making decisions about the overall structure of the system, including the components that make up the system and how they interact with each other. The goal of software architecture is to create a system that is reliable, scalable, and maintainable.

What are some benefits of microservices?

There are several benefits of microservices architecture. One of the most significant benefits is scalability. Microservices can be scaled independently of each other, which means that you can scale only the services that need it¹. Another benefit is that microservices can help you deliver features faster¹. Microservices also allow for better fault isolation and easier maintenance².

(1) 7 Key Benefits of Microservices — DreamFactory Software- Blog. https://blog.dreamfactory.com/7-key-benefits-of-microservices/.
(2) 14 Major Benefits and Advantages of Microservices — Simpat Tech. https://simpat.tech/benefits-microservices/.
(3) Microservices architecture design — Azure Architecture Center …. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/microservices/.

What are some drawbacks of microservices?

There are several drawbacks to microservices architecture. One of the main drawbacks is that microservices come with a higher degree of complexity¹. Another drawback is that microservices rely heavily on the network to communicate with each other, which can lead to increased network traffic¹. Microservices can also increase development time and limit the reuse of code¹. Additionally, microservices can be difficult in global testing and debugging¹.

(1) Advantages & Disadvantages of Microservices Architecture — Orient Software. https://www.orientsoftware.com/blog/microservices-advantages-and-disadvantages/.
(2) What are microservices? The pros, cons, and how they work. https://raygun.com/blog/what-are-microservices/.
(3) Pros and cons of monolithic vs. microservices architecture. https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/tip/Pros-and-cons-of-monolithic-vs-microservices-architecture.
(4) Microservices: Benefits and Challenges — DZone. https://dzone.com/articles/microservices-benefits-and-challenges.

Why is important parallelism and concurrency in microservices architectures?

Parallelism and concurrency are important in microservices architectures because they allow for better performance and scalability. By using parallelism and concurrency, you can process multiple requests at the same time, which can help to reduce latency and improve throughput. Additionally, parallelism and concurrency can help to improve fault tolerance by allowing services to continue processing requests even if other services are down.

How to synchronize parallel processes?

There are several ways to synchronize parallel processes. One common way is to use locks. A lock is a mechanism that allows only one process to access a shared resource at a time. Another way is to use semaphores. A semaphore is a variable that controls access to a shared resource by multiple processes. Yet another way is to use message passing. In message passing, processes communicate with each other by sending messages.

How to synchronize parallel microservices in Azure or AWS?

Both Azure and AWS provide several ways to synchronize parallel microservices. One common way is to use locks. Azure provides a distributed lock service that allows you to synchronize access to a shared resource across multiple instances of an application. AWS provides a similar service called DynamoDB that allows you to use locks to synchronize access to shared resources. Another way to synchronize parallel microservices is to use message passing. Both Azure and AWS provide messaging services that allow microservices to communicate with each other by sending messages.

Who else has written about microservices?

There are many authors who have written about microservices. Some of the most well-known authors include Sam Newman, Chris Richardson, and Eberhard Wolff. They have written books and articles on the topic of microservices architecture.

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Luigi Poderico
Luigi Poderico

Written by Luigi Poderico

I help people building machines that give the best answers to their best questions. https://linktr.ee/poderico

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