When your mechanical project encounters "growing pains": How can microservices really support the future?

Have you ever had a moment like this? The project in hand was running smoothly at first, but suddenly it got stuck. Just like a robotic arm equipped with a top-notch servo motor, its initial movements are precise and smooth, but when the task becomes complicated, it starts to tremble, delay, and simply falter. This is not a problem with the motor, but the entire "nervous system" that cannot keep up with the instructions. In the digital world, this nervous system is software architecture. Today, let's not talk about esoteric code, but let's talk about a method that can keep complex systems "lightweight" - microservices. In particular, we look at how to avoid common pitfalls surrounding "best practices microservices scalability".

What's the problem? Why does a monolithic architecture “huff and puff”?

Imagine you designed a central control unit to manage all the servos on an entire production line. In the beginning, the production line was simple, and this "brain" could command it easily. But when you need to add more robotic arms, introduce visual inspection, and connect to logistics systems, the burden on this "brain" becomes heavier and heavier. It handles everything: logical operations, communication, data access. Small changes in any link may require the entire system to be shut down for updates. Once upgraded, the entire line will be discontinued. Who can bear this cost?

This is like the early software "monolith architecture". All functions are squeezed into a huge program, affecting the whole body. Once the number of users increases, capacity expansion can only be done by copying the entire system, which is cumbersome and wastes resources. Even more troubling, innovation becomes difficult. Do you want to experiment with a new motor control? It may have to shake the foundation of the entire system. Many teams have experienced this kind of "growing pain".

What's the way out?

Splitting is for better collaboration: the core idea of ​​microservices

The idea of ​​microservices is actually very similar to the design of modern automated workshops. Instead of one giant controller directing everything, you have independent, intelligent local controllers for each robot and each conveyor module. They each perform their own duties: those specializing in servo motor control only focus on motion trajectory and torque feedback; those responsible for grabbing focus on the strength and induction of the gripper. These small controllers communicate with each other through a standard protocol (such as some kind of fieldbus) and work together to complete a complex task.

The benefits of this are obvious. Does a module need upgrading or repair? Just turn it off and the rest will continue to function as normal. Need more gripping power? Just replace or upgrade the controller and hardware of that gripping module without touching the entire production line. The flexibility, maintainability and scalability of the system will naturally increase.

Mapping this idea back to the software world is microservices: splitting a large application into a set of small, independent services. Each service is built around a specific business capability (such as "order processing", "user authentication") and can be developed, deployed and expanded independently. They communicate through lightweight APIs.

From concept to implementation: A few conversations about scalability

Splitting alone is not enough. If not dismantled properly, it will create a mess of small parts that are more difficult to manage. This leads to "best practices microservices scalability" - it focuses on how to split and manage so that this distributed system can truly grow gracefully.

The following questions may be what you will encounter when thinking about them:

Question: How many “micro” services is appropriate? There is no absolute answer, but a good inspiration is "Single Responsibility". A service should only do one thing well and do it to the best of its ability. For example, a service that specializes in "server angle calibration" and a service that is responsible for "motion trajectory planning" have clear boundaries and changes do not interfere with each other. If two features frequently need to be modified together, they probably belong to the same service.kpowerWhen assisting customers in sorting out the architecture, we often start from the natural boundaries of the business flow to make the technical architecture fit the real business actions.

Question: How can services “talk” to each other efficiently and reliably? Imagine that your mechanical modules communicate with each other using confusing, customized signals. Engineers will definitely have a headache. In microservices, clear and stable API contracts are their "standard protocols". Choose RESTful API or lightweight gRPC, define the format of requests and responses, and maintain backward compatibility. This way, when you update a service, you won't accidentally mute other partners that depend on it. Asynchronous message queues (such as Kafka) are particularly useful when processing communications that do not require immediate replies. They can buffer pressure and make the system more calm.

Question: How do you know if the whole thing is healthy if it’s broken down? In a decentralized shop floor, you need an overview dashboard. In the world of microservices, this is "observability". It is not a simple monitoring, but by centrally collecting logs, indicators and link tracking data, you can clearly see: Which service is responding slowly? What services does a request go through? What went wrong? With this "panoramic mirror", you can quickly locate bottlenecks instead of blindly checking dozens of services.

Q: Independent deployment sounds great, but will it be messy to do? Indeed, manually managing the deployment of hundreds of services is a nightmare. This is where automation and container technology come on the scene. Docker containers provide a consistent operating environment for each service, and orchestration tools such as Kubernetes are like an intelligent workshop scheduler, automatically handling service deployment, scaling, load balancing, and fault recovery. It allows you to manage thousands of service instances as declaratively as one service.

Not just technology, but also a kind of thinking

Embracing microservices, especially pursuing scalability, is actually cultivating a system design philosophy. It pursues resilience, not just performance; it is agile evolutionary capability, not a one-time huge build.

It's like when you design a precision machine, you don't weld all the gears. You will reserve module interfaces and use standard bearings and couplings so that each module can be independent, replaced or upgraded. The entire system thus has the vitality to cope with unknown needs in the future.

kpowerWhen exploring deep integration solutions for servo motors, steering gears and control systems, we also deeply realized the power of division and collaborative thinking. Whether it is mechanical modules in the physical world or microservices in the digital world, the essence lies in encapsulating complexity through clear boundaries and efficient collaboration, so that the overall system remains stable and flexible in the face of changes.

So, the next time your project feels "out of breath", maybe you can think about it from another angle: Is it time to do a distributed upgrade of this "brain"? Start with a small and focused set of services and let them run independently and work together tacitly. This path may require more design thinking in the early stage, but it leads to a future that can grow more calmly and embrace change.

Start your separation journey by defining a clear, independent “first service.” You'll find that complexity managed, scalability gained.

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, Kpower integrates 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.