When your Java system starts to "stuck": an easy solution to the microservice design pattern

Have you ever encountered this situation? Obviously the server configuration is high and the code is written carefully, but when the concurrency is high, the system becomes sluggish, like there is rust between the gears of an old machine. Or, if you want to upgrade a certain functional module, it will affect the entire system. If you move a small place, the entire system will have to be redeployed and tested. Many teams have experienced these troubles.

At this point, someone might think of splitting up. Split a large system into several independent small services and let them perform their respective functions. A good idea, but how to do it? Cutting haphazardly will only create more confusion. Today we will talk about a microservice design pattern that makes splitting clear and elegant in the Java world. This is not some advanced theory, but more like a set of practical assembly instructions.

From "big warehouse" to "small boutique"

A traditional large-scale single application is like a giant warehouse. All the goods—user management, order processing, payment logic—are piled together. It’s slow to find things and even more troublesome to sort them out. The microservice architecture transforms the warehouse into a commercial street. Each "store" (service) focuses on a type of goods and has its own storefront and inventory management. They do business through clear protocols (such as APIs) without interfering with each other.

What is the key to realizing the planning diagram of this "commercial street" in Java? First and foremost is boundary demarcation. Not by technical type, but by business capabilities. For example, "user registration" and "order creation" are different business capabilities, and they may require independent services. This sounds simple, but it is the first gate to maintaining clarity in your system.

Let the service take care of itself: the core of the model

After the split, how can each service live "healthy"? Here are a few down-to-earth model ideas.

Imagine that each microservice is a small family with the ability to take care of itself. It needs to have its own data storage and not mix tables with others - this is "database isolation by service". The services it provides to the outside world must have a unified "home door" (API gateway), and visiting guests do not need to know the specific conditions of the backyard. When one service needs to call another, it is best to pass the call through a lightweight "message middleware" instead of directly shouting at the door, which can improve overall resilience.

There is also "service discovery", which is like a navigation map of a commercial street. New stores can be registered by themselves, and people who want to find services can also find the address at any time. As well as "configuration externalization", easy-to-change settings (such as database addresses) are managed in a public place, without having to redecorate the entire store just to change a parameter.

These modes are not rigid rules, but like building blocks. You can choose how to build them according to the actual conditions of the street.

Why is it worth trying? Feel the changes

The benefits of using clear design patterns to build microservices are direct. The most obvious is the increase in elasticity. A shop was temporarily renovated and the lights on the entire street were kept on. There is more freedom in technology selection. Coffee shops can use the latest coffee machines, while bookstores may as well continue to use old counters without kidnapping each other. Team collaboration is also smoother. Different teams can be independently responsible for different services, and they can control their own pace from development to launch.

Of course, the management of this street requires new thinking. To monitor more carefully, you need to know the customer flow and health status of each store; to test more comprehensively, you need to test not only the services of a single store, but also the cooperation process between stores. These are extra homework, but once it runs smoothly, the maintainability and evolution speed of the entire system will be completely different.

How to take the first step? Start from a small module

If you're considering going this route, start with Strangler Mode. Don't let the name scare you, it's actually quite mild. Rather than reinventing the old system, we select a module with relatively clear boundaries from the existing single application and gradually extract it into an independent microservice. Let the old and new systems run in parallel for a period of time, slowly direct traffic to the new services, and eventually replace the old modules smoothly.

Tools and frameworks are just helpers in this process, such as some common Spring Cloud components, which provide ready-made tools to implement the above patterns. But more important than the tools is the team’s understanding of the business and its adaptability to distributed system thinking. Starting small and accumulating experience is far more reliable than planning a huge microservice network from the beginning.

existkpower, we focus on the stability and efficiency from basic components to system architecture. Whether it is to ensure the precise operation of a servo motor or to support the flexible expansion of a complex software system, the philosophy behind it is the same: clear structure, reliable connection and precise control. We believe that a good design pattern is to give the system a blueprint that can withstand the test of time.

Established in 2005,kpowerhas been dedicated to a professional compact motion unit manufacturer, headquartered in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China. Leveraging innovations in modular drive technology,kpowerintegrates high-performance motors, precision reducers, and multi-protocol control systems to provide efficient and customized smart drive system solutions. Kpower has delivered professional drive system solutions to over 500 enterprise clients globally with products covering various fields such as Smart Home Systems, Automatic Electronics, Robotics, Precision Agriculture, Drones, and Industrial Automation.