{"id":8497,"date":"2026-05-25T08:56:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T06:56:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=8497"},"modified":"2026-06-15T14:15:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T12:15:59","slug":"what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"What are microservices?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microservices are a software architecture approach in which an application is built from multiple smaller, independent services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each service focuses on a specific business function and communicates with other services through APIs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-4174994321\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of developing a single, large application, teams create separate components that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microservices are commonly used in modern cloud-native applications and large digital platforms that require flexibility and rapid development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#How_microservices_evolved\" >How microservices evolved<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#How_microservices_work\" >How microservices work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Microservices_versus_monolithic_architecture\" >Microservices versus monolithic architecture<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Advantages_of_microservices\" >Advantages of microservices<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Independent_scalability\" >Independent scalability<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Improved_fault_isolation\" >Improved fault isolation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Faster_development_cycles\" >Faster development cycles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Technology_flexibility\" >Technology flexibility<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Challenges_of_microservices\" >Challenges of microservices<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Supporting_technologies\" >Supporting technologies<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#When_to_use_microservices\" >When to use microservices<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Security_considerations\" >Security considerations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/what-are-microservices-shifting-from-monoliths-to-modular-systems\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_microservices_evolved\"><\/span>How microservices evolved<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the past, many applications were built as monoliths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A monolithic application contains all business logic, user interfaces, and data access components within a single codebase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As applications grow, monolithic architectures can become difficult to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>maintain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>update<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>scale<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>test<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>deploy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microservices emerged as an alternative approach that allows applications to evolve more gradually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By dividing an application into smaller services, development teams can work independently and release updates more frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_microservices_work\"><\/span>How microservices work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each microservice performs a specific task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Examples might include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>user authentication<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>payment processing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>product catalog management<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>order handling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>notifications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Services communicate with each other using APIs or messaging systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each service typically has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>its own codebase<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>its own database<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>independent deployment processes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>dedicated resource requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This separation allows teams to update one service without affecting the entire application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Microservices_versus_monolithic_architecture\"><\/span>Microservices versus monolithic architecture<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The difference between these approaches lies primarily in how applications are structured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Monolithic architecture<\/th><th>Microservices architecture<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Single codebase<\/td><td>Multiple independent services<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shared database<\/td><td>Separate databases for each service<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Entire application deployed together<\/td><td>Services deployed independently<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Scaling affects the whole application<\/td><td>Individual services can scale separately<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tightly coupled components<\/td><td>Loosely coupled components<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neither approach is inherently better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smaller applications may benefit from the simplicity of a monolithic architecture, while larger systems often require the flexibility of microservices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Advantages_of_microservices\"><\/span>Advantages of microservices<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microservices offer several benefits for growing applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Independent_scalability\"><\/span>Independent scalability<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Individual services can scale based on demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, an online store may need additional resources for its checkout service during peak traffic periods without scaling the entire platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improved_fault_isolation\"><\/span>Improved fault isolation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Failures in one service are less likely to affect the entire application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can improve overall system reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Faster_development_cycles\"><\/span>Faster development cycles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Independent teams can work on separate services simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This reduces coordination overhead and allows features to be released more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Technology_flexibility\"><\/span>Technology flexibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Different services can use different programming languages, databases, or frameworks when appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This allows teams to select the best tools for specific tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Challenges_of_microservices\"><\/span>Challenges of microservices<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microservices also introduce additional complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common challenges include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>distributed system management<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>service discovery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>monitoring and logging<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>network latency<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>data consistency<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>security management<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Operating many independent services requires mature development and operational processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Supporting_technologies\"><\/span>Supporting technologies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several technologies are commonly used alongside microservices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>containers such as Docker<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>API gateways<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>message brokers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>monitoring and observability tools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Containerization makes it easier to package and deploy services consistently across environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Orchestration platforms automate tasks such as scaling, networking, and service recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are exploring modern application deployment models, the article What is web hosting? explains the infrastructure foundations that support web applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_to_use_microservices\"><\/span>When to use microservices<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microservices are often suitable for applications that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>have multiple development teams<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>require independent scaling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>need frequent deployments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>support many business functions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>operate across multiple environments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For smaller projects, the added complexity may outweigh the benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choosing the right architecture depends on your application&#8217;s requirements, team size, and long-term goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding the relationship between infrastructure components can help you make better architectural decisions. See What is the difference between a domain, a website, and a web server? for an overview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Security_considerations\"><\/span>Security considerations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Securing microservices requires protecting both individual services and the communication between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common practices include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>API authentication<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>encrypted communication<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>access control policies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>centralized monitoring<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>regular dependency updates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because services exchange data frequently, security should be integrated into every stage of development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The article How to make your website GDPR compliant explains important considerations when processing personal information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your services expose public APIs or forms, understanding common attack methods can also improve security. See Common attacks targeting WordPress websites for examples of common web security risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microservices divide applications into smaller, independent services that communicate through APIs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This approach can improve scalability, resilience, and development speed, especially for complex applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, microservices also introduce operational complexity and require careful planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choosing between microservices and a monolithic architecture depends on your technical requirements, team structure, and expected growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[28],"manual_kb_tag":[7353,7354,7355,7356,7357,4347,4348,4349,4356,6264],"class_list":["post-8497","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-others","manual_kb_tag-microservices-architecture","manual_kb_tag-monolithic-architecture","manual_kb_tag-service-oriented-architecture","manual_kb_tag-distributed-systems","manual_kb_tag-orchestration-platforms","manual_kb_tag-docker","manual_kb_tag-kubernetes","manual_kb_tag-containerization","manual_kb_tag-microservices","manual_kb_tag-service-discovery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/8497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/8497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8498,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/8497\/revisions\/8498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=8497"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=8497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}