Microservices in Mobile App Development: Definition, Implementation, and more.

In the ever-evolving world of mobile app development, staying ahead of the curve is crucial to success. As the demands of users grow and technology advances, developers are constantly seeking innovative ways to create robust and scalable mobile applications. One approach that has gained significant traction in recent years is the microservices in mobile app development.

Microservices, often touted as the secret sauce behind the success of major tech giants like Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb, have revolutionized the way applications are built and maintained.

By breaking down complex monolithic architectures into smaller, independent services, developers can achieve greater flexibility, scalability, and resilience in their mobile apps.

For instance, more than 69% of businesses prefer microservices for new app projects or even upgrade legacy system.

In this blog, we will dive into the world of microservices in mobile app development. We will start by exploring the definition of microservices and the core principles that underpin their architecture.

From there, we will delve into the implementation process, uncovering the step-by-step approach to integrating microservices into mobile applications effectively.

Therefore, with this being said, let’s get right into it, starting with:

Microservices – What is Microservice architecture?

So, what is Microservice architecture?

This is one of the first question people ask when they are introduced to Microservices in mobile app development.

Well, Microservices concept can be quite complex, but we’ll explain it as simply as we can.

In layman’s term, Microservice architecture refers to the combination of modular components that allows app developers to build an app as a combination of several full fledged services.

Therefore, the mobile app doesn’t require developers to deploy entire codebase in repository unit, like in monolith application, (more on the difference later).

This allows the mobile app developers to build business mobile apps using smaller and independent components. So, this way app builders can integrate different services into a single mobile app where each services is responsible for particular task.

Examples of Microservices applications

Some of the best apps in market that we know of today are built on Microservice architecture.

• Netflix
• Uber
• AirBNB
• Twitter
• Amazon
• Spotify
• PayPal
• LinkedIn
• Slack
• eBay

With this out of the way, let’s expand on the top of difference between Microservices in mobile app development and traditional i.e. monolithic app development.

Microservices vs Traditional Development

Before we move further into why choose Microservice architecture for mobile application, how to implement Microservices architecture in app development, and so on, it’s important to consider difference from traditional development.

Monolithic App Architecture – Traditional Development

Monolithic app architecture is exactly what it sounds like. Here, all code components are designed as a single unit. While each component is independent, they are also interconnected.

In this architecture, every update needs to applied stack wide. And if the business wants to move the platform to new tech stack or framework, it takes a lot of time, effort, and money.

Monolithic vs Microservices in Mobile App Development

There are some large difference between monolithic architecture and Microservices architecture for mobile app development.

With this out of the way, let’s look at advantages that you get by using Microservices architecture in mobile application development in the section below.

Advantages of Microservices in Mobile App Development

Should you build a Microservice based application? With the increasing number of development technologies and frameworks being available in market, there are a lot of people who ask this question.

So, before you we answer “why you should” in the next section of the blog, let’s first look at some reason reasons to choose it.

These are, as mentioned below:

·        Scalability

The very first benefit is scalability the microservices architecture offers to mobile applications. The architecture enables on-demand service’s independent scaling.

Moreover, the technology also allows the platform allocate resources for the services as they are required. Thus, making everything that much more scalable and improved performance for the solution.

This is one of the major benefit of microservices in mobile app development over monolithic architecture.

·        Flexibility and Agility

Microservices promote flexibility by enabling independent development and deployment of services.

Here’s how it happens: the technology allows development teams to work on different services simultaneously. This speeds up the development process and allowing for faster iterations and updates.

Moreover, It also allows for the use of different technology stacks and frameworks based on the specific requirements of each service within the same application.

·        Modularity and Reusability

Modularity and more importantly reusability are two very important qualities in IT world. And this is something that microservices architecture implementation bring to the table.

You see, each microservice in the architecture represents a specific functionality or business domain, making the codebase more modular and easier to understand. And this modularity promotes code reusability.

Reason being that services can be shared and reused across multiple applications or projects, reducing development time and effort.

·        Fault Isolation and Resilience

In a microservices architecture, if one service encounters an error or experiences a failure, it does not impact the entire application. And as one might assume, this is very beneficial in many ways.

Moving on, fault isolation ensures that errors are contained within the affected service, minimizing the impact on other services and allowing the rest of the application to function normally. Thus, it improves the overall resilience and fault tolerance of the mobile app.

·        Independent Deployment and Continuous Delivery

If you are looking for independent deployment of services, microservices based application is just what you need.The architecture offers independent deployment.In layman’s terms, can update or make changes to specific services without disrupting the entire application.

Plus, it also facilitates continuous delivery practices, allowing for faster and more frequent releases, bug fixes, and feature enhancements.

·        Improved Performance and User Experience

With microservices, you can optimize the performance of specific services, allowing them to run more efficiently and handle user requests faster.Moreover, this results in improved overall performance and better user experience for your mobile app.

These are some of the major benefits you get with microservices in mobile app development. And why this out of the way, let’s move to the next section.

When You Should Go For Microservice Architecture Development

Wondering what are the cases when you should go for Microservice architecture based mobile app development?  Well, here are the cases when you should go with microservices app development.

• Create a mobile app from scratch
• Update or rebuild legacy app
• Add functionality to existing application

And with this said, let’s look at the industries that should prefer microservices based apps below:

• E-commerce Platform
• Content Streaming Platform
• Ride-Sharing Application
• Online Gaming Platforms
• Social Media Platform
• Travel Booking System
• Banking and Financial Services
• Real-Time Analytics Systems
• Food Delivery Platform
• Healthcare Systems

Factors To Consider When Choosing Microservices for Mobile App Development

Let’s look at some factors that you should consider when choosing microservices architecture. These are, as mentioned below:

• Scalability Requirements
• Team Structure and Skills
• Inter-Service Communication
• Data Management and Consistency
• Operational Overhead
• Deployment and Infrastructure
• Security and Testing
• Long-Term Maintenance
• Cost Considerations

And with all said & done, let’s see how you can implement microservices in mobile app development in the section below.

Microservice architecture Implementation

We have discussed almost all you need about microservices architecture and how they benefits platforms. Now, assuming that you are interesting in creating a microservices based application, let’s discuss the entire process to do so.

1.     Identify and define microservice

Begin by identifying the different functional components of your mobile app that can be decoupled into separate services.

Each microservice should have a specific responsibility or function. For example, authentication, user management, payment processing, notifications, etc.

2.     Design API contract

In this step, we determine the APIs and communication protocols that will be used to enable communication between the microservices and the mobile app.

This typically involves defining the API endpoints, request/response formats (such as RESTful APIs, GraphQL, etc.), and data models.

3.     Develop microservices

This is the part where, we create separate development teams or individuals responsible for building each microservice.

Moreover, each team should have autonomy over their microservice’s development, testing, and deployment. Use appropriate programming languages and frameworks based on the team’s expertise and requirements.

4.     Set up infrastructure

Establish infrastructure and deployment mechanisms for hosting the microservices.

This may involve using cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, containerization technologies like Docker, and orchestration tools like Kubernetes for managing and scaling the microservices.

5.     Implement service discovery and communication

Enable service discovery mechanisms to allow the mobile app to locate and communicate with the appropriate microservices.

This can be achieved using technologies like service registries (e.g., Consul, Eureka) or API gateways that act as intermediaries between the app and the microservices.

6.     Implement security and authentication

Incorporate appropriate security measures to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of data exchanged between the mobile app and the microservices.

Implement authentication and authorization mechanisms, such as JWT (JSON Web Tokens), OAuth, or API keys, to control access to the microservices.

7.     Implement monitoring and logging

Integrate monitoring and logging mechanisms into the microservices to track their performance, detect errors or issues, and gain insights into usage patterns.

Here, we can use tools like Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), or similar solutions.

8.     Test and deploy

Perform thorough testing of each microservice individually and as part of the integrated system.

The development team employs various testing techniques, including unit testing, integration testing, and end-to-end testing, to ensure the stability and functionality of the microservices. Once tested, deploy the microservices to the production environment.

9.     Update mobile app

Modify the mobile app to utilize the microservices’ APIs for accessing the required functionalities.

Update the app’s codebase to make API requests and handle responses from the microservices accordingly.

10. Continuous improvement

Monitor the performance and scalability of the microservices, gather user feedback, and make iterative improvements to enhance the mobile app’s functionality, reliability, and user experience.

In simple terms, this is maintenance of your platform.

Conclusion

We can’t imagine the modern systems at present state without constant innovation. And the next step of innovation for mobile apps is microservices architecture. We have already seen some of the best and largest platforms using this technology. And in this blog, we discussed everything related to how you can do the same. If you want to learn more about the same, consult app development company.

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Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.