--- id: topic-microservices name: Microservices artifact_type: content description: Topic definition for Microservices architecture version: 1.0.0 tags: - architecture - distributed-systems - topic --- # Microservices Architecture An architectural style that structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled, independently deployable services, each implementing a specific business capability. Microservices represent a departure from monolithic architecture, emphasizing service autonomy, bounded contexts, and decentralized data management. **Key Characteristics:** - Independent deployment and scaling - Service-oriented API contracts (typically REST or gRPC) - Decentralized data management (database-per-service) - Polyglot persistence and technology diversity - Failure isolation and resilience patterns **Common Use Cases:** - Large-scale web applications - Cloud-native applications - Continuous delivery environments - Organizations requiring team autonomy - Systems requiring differential scaling