microservices in .net core tutorial

Controlling the rhythm of the system: Let’s talk about the similarities between microservice design and motors

Have you ever felt this way when working on a project? The system is getting bigger and bigger, like an old machine with all kinds of cables and gears tangled inside. If you want to change a small function, you have to be careful, for fear that if you move a gear, the whole machine will stop. Releasing an update is like an overhaul where everything has to stop and wait.

Does this feel like using a large servo to control an extremely complex robotic arm? The instructions are single and the response is slow. If there is a problem with any joint, the entire movement will be messed up.

Is there a way to make our software system behave like a set of precision servo motors, each performing its own duties and cooperating tacitly?

Yes, this is what the microservice architecture is about. It's not magic, but a change in design thinking. Think about it, instead of relying on a central brain (monolithic application) to give orders, you split the system into many independent small units, each like a servo motor with an independent controller.

• Each "servo motor" (microservice) just mind its own business: For example, user management is one service, order processing is another, and inventory query is a separate one. They each have independent logic and data.
• They communicate via clear "signals" (APIs): Just like you send a PWM pulse signal to a servo motor to control the angle, microservices request and transfer data through a defined interface (API). A service does not need to know how the complex gears inside another service turn. It only needs to know what signals to send and what responses to get.
• Independent operation and independent maintenance: If a "motor" (service) needs to be upgraded or repaired, you can remove it separately, while other parts of the entire robotic arm (system) can work as usual. This greatly reduces risk and speeds up the pace of change.

.NET Core, in this metaphor, is like a great workshop for making these high-performance, high-efficiency "servos". It's lightweight, open source, and inherently designed for modularity and performance. Using it to build each independent microservice is like choosing the most suitable motor model for your precision machinery - low power consumption, fast response, and compact size.

You may ask, wouldn’t it be more difficult to manage if it were split up like this?

There was indeed this worry at the beginning. It was like putting a bunch of servo motors on the ground. They would not form a robotic arm by themselves. This requires some "collaboration framework" and "wiring rules". In the world of .NET Core, there is a complete tool chain to help you handle these things: such as discovery and invocation between services, load balancing, unified configuration management, and most importantly - fault fusing and monitoring.

It's like configuring a group of servo motors with an intelligent coordinated controller. If a motor overheats (service overload), the controller can temporarily let it rest and transfer tasks to other motors to prevent the entire system from being paralyzed; you need to monitor the speed and temperature of each motor (service performance indicators), which are clearly visible on the console.

From "large steering gear" to "servo motor unit", what does this transformation bring?

The most intuitive thing is resilience. A small local failure of the system no longer means global downtime. It is also flexible. When a certain business pressure increases greatly (such as promotion activities), you can specifically increase the number of "motors" (instances) for the corresponding service and quickly expand the capacity without having to replace the entire machine. What’s more, it’s about speed. A small team can focus on a specific service and develop, test, and deploy independently. The pace of innovation and iteration is naturally faster.

kpowerIn the process of helping customers achieve this type of technical architecture upgrade, I deeply understand that technology selection is like selecting core components. It determines the upper limit of the future possibilities of the system and the comfort of operation and maintenance. A good foundation can make every subsequent step more stable and smooth.

So, the next time you feel that your project is like an old machine that is bulky and difficult to maintain, you might as well think about it from another perspective: Can you design it into a set of flexible and robust modern machines driven by sophisticated .NET Core "servo motors"? The art of design and coordination is the charm of modern software development.

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.