Monolithic architecture:

Monolithic architecture refers to a software design approach where an application is built as a single, unified unit. In a monolithic architecture, all components of the application — such as the user interface, business logic, database access, and other features — are combined into a single codebase and executed as a single program or process.

Here are some key characteristics of monolithic architecture:

Single Deployment Unit: All parts of the application are bundled together and deployed as a single unit. This means updates, bug fixes, and changes are applied to the entire system at once.

Tightly Coupled Components: The different components of the application are usually tightly interwoven, meaning that changes in one part of the system can impact other parts.

Shared Memory: All components typically run within the same process and share memory space, making communication between components fast and simple.

Simple to Develop: Monolithic systems can be simpler to develop initially, as they don’t require the complexity of handling multiple services or dependencies. This makes them easy to set up for small to medium-sized applications.

Challenges in Scalability: As the application grows, monolithic systems can become harder to scale. Since everything is packaged together, scaling specific parts of the application can be difficult without scaling the entire system.

Tight Coupling of Features: Updating or modifying one part of the system often requires redeploying the whole application. This can lead to slower release cycles and harder maintenance, especially as the system grows.

Monolithic architecture is often contrasted with microservices architecture, which breaks the application down into smaller, independent services that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.

Microservices architecture

Microservices architecture is like building a system with lots of small, independent parts (called "services") that work together, but each part can be developed, updated, and run separately. Unlike a monolithic architecture where everything is in one big block, microservices break the application into smaller, specialized chunks.

Here’s how it works in simple terms:

Small, Independent Services: Each service focuses on one task (like handling user logins, processing payments, or managing products) and can work on its own.

Separate Deployment: These services can be developed, deployed, and updated independently from each other. This means if you need to change one service, you don’t have to mess with the whole system.

Communication Between Services: The different services talk to each other through APIs (like sending messages or requests) to share data and complete tasks.

Easier to Scale: Since the services are independent, you can scale just the parts of the system that need more resources, instead of scaling everything at once.

Think of it like running a company with different departments, like HR, marketing, and finance. Each department works on its own, and if you need more help in one department, you can add staff just there without affecting the others.

Advantages of Microservices:

Easier to maintain and update.

Can scale specific parts of the app without scaling everything.

Each service can be developed using different technologies if needed.

However, it can be more complex to set up and manage compared to a monolithic architecture.