Microservices: Expert Advocates for Less Distribution, Warns of 'Distributed Monolith' Trap

A prominent voice in software architecture recently posited a provocative vision for the future of microservices, expressing a desire for “less distribution” in systems. The core driver for enterprises adopting microservices, independent deployability, is often achieved through a service-based approach primarily because most modern runtimes lack robust hot-swapping capabilities for modules. This forces systems into a distributed model, frequently leading to the undesirable “distributed monolith” – a complex setup that gains distribution without true independence, causing significant coordination overhead, architectural friction, and stalled development. While acknowledging the advantages of distribution, such as enabling technological polyglotism, experimentation with different runtimes or hardware, and facilitating integration with specialized systems like LLMs, the expert warned against underestimating the “seaweed underbelly” of inherent complexity.

To address this overlooked complexity, the speaker outlined a simplified framework of “three golden rules” for distributed systems: information transfer is not instantaneous, components can be unreachable, and resource pools are finite. These foundational principles underpin the myriad challenges encountered in distributed environments. Emphasizing a return to first principles, the expert shared an approach to teaching distributed systems by tackling fundamental concepts, such as timeouts, early on. This strategy aims to equip developers with a clearer understanding of the inherent difficulties before they embark on intricate distributed architectures.