Understanding Dark Energy and Dark Matter in Microservice Architecture

"Dark Energy and Dark Matter" are two terms used in microservice architecture, whether creating a new microservices architecture from scratch or migrating an existing monolith to a microservices application.

Microservice Architecture

An application's business logic is split into smaller, independent parts, each handling one task, called a microservice. In other words, the business logic is divided into subdomains or bounded contexts.

NOTE: Subdomains or bounded contexts in a microservices architecture are individual microservices, each handling a specific task, like an order-service and a user-service in a delivery system.

You might wonder why "Dark Energy and Dark Matter" are mentioned here since these terms are usually related to cosmology. But in microservices architecture, they are used as metaphors to make explanations easier. There are five forces related to this energy, but I won't discuss them here, so I'll be straightforward.

Dark Energy In Microservice

Physics Definition: In physics, dark energy is a mysterious force that accelerates the expansion of the universe.

Microservice Metaphor: Similarly, in microservices, complexity can increase when too many responsibilities are pulled into a single microservice, affecting the subdomain's ability to handle a single task.

Example: Imagine a microservice dedicated to tracking packages. Initially, this service is responsible only for updating the location of packages. Over time, additional responsibilities are added, such as calculating estimated delivery times and sending notifications to customers. This expansion of tasks within a single microservice is like dark energy, pulling the service away from its original purpose of simply tracking package locations. This can lead to increased complexity and make the service more challenging to maintain and scale.

Dark Energy = An unseen force that pulls services away from clear boundaries

Dark Matter In Microservice

Physics Definition: In physics, dark matter is invisible and detectable only through its gravitational effects.

Microservice Metaphor: In microservices, dark matter represents hidden complexities or dependencies that impact system performance and scalability, often not immediately visible.

Example: Imagine an e-commerce platform built with microservices. Each microservice manages a specific task, like inventory management, payment processing, or user authentication. At first, these services appear separate, but over time, hidden connections can form. For example, the inventory service might start depending on the payment service to check stock levels before completing an order. These connections aren't obvious right away but can cause performance slowdowns and make it harder to scale the system as it grows. This hidden complexity is like dark matter, impacting the system's performance and scalability without being directly seen.

Dark Matter = Hidden complexities or dependencies that affect system performance and scalability

Summary and Conclusion

In microservice architecture, "Dark Energy" and "Dark Matter" are metaphors for understanding the challenges of managing complexity and hidden dependencies. Recognizing these forces helps developers maintain clear boundaries and minimize hidden dependencies, ensuring a scalable and efficient system.

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