Complete Guide to Building Microservices with Node.js

Are you a CEO, CTO, or an IT decision-maker looking to define, create, and implement independent services that scale effortlessly? Does your company need dedicated support to improve the adaptability, efficiency, and scalability of critical business applications? Enter the world of building microservices with Node.js – where you’ll be able to achieve all these objectives with utmost ease.

Modern-day organizations demand resilient software. Conventional monolithic architecture limits software development capabilities with prolonged processes, integration hiccups, and deployment drawbacks. That’s where microservices can help. When combined with the powerful features of Node.js, microservices can help you roll out robust applications and systems that can stand tall in today’s AI-driven business era.

Curious about how to unify the potential of microservices and Node.js for software development success? This blog post will give you a detailed outlook and help you make the right decision for long-term business profitability.

Microservices: An Overview

Microservices are nothing but a group of particular services – each covering a certain domain/feature. For instance, services that are user-centric or demand authentication. Each microservice is based on specific traits. These include loose coupling and independent deployment capabilities. However, to make the most of these services, you need to consistently track their evolution and quickly address challenges by resolving flawed aspects.  

What Monolithic and Microservices Mean in Node.js? 

A monolithic app is built on top of a vast and integrated codebase. This means each aspect is interrelated, implemented as a combination, and utilized as a single process. Consider a Node.js application created using Express.js. Here, all facets, including business logic, APIs, and authentication parameters, are present as a single project and run as a particular service. This leads to the creation of a complex codebase that becomes tightly coupled with time.

A microservices architecture transforms an app into varied, tiny, and isolated services. Here, each service caters to a particular business functionality. They run it through their own process and connect with each other through APIs. For instance, if Node.js is used to build an eCommerce platform, it will showcase the following:

• Profile and authentication handled by the user service
• Product catalog data managed by the product service
• Purchase and invoice monitored by the order service

In a nutshell, each of these aforementioned microservices will act as a distinct app built using Node.js. These services will have their own set of databases and deployment pipelines.

Comparison Between Monolithic and Microservices in Node.js

Why Microservices are a Must in Node.js?

Let's examine the advantages of microservices and discuss why they are necessary in Node.js.  

To get a more clear idea, let’s check out some key benefits of microservices and why they are required in Node.js.

Enhanced Scalability – Supports error-free evolution of independent services with utmost flexibility.

Easy Deployment – Ensures every day, week-wise, and even regular deployments to the best.

Improved Agility – Enables seamless management of each service, thereby allowing frequent deliveries when operating in small teams.

Robust Dependency – Resolves issues related to service breaking while implementing separate elements.

Single-Threaded Framework – Incorporates a non-blocking approach via event looping using Node.js single-threaded capabilities.

Zero Buffering – Allows data release in minor chunks, eliminating buffering instances.

Solid Asynchronization – Utilized asynchronous libraries to process the next API call without waiting for earlier calls to get completed.

Building Microservices in Node.js: Your Go-To Frameworks 

You can utilize various frameworks as alternatives for building microservices in Node.js. Let’s look at the below frameworks for better understanding.  

Express.js is a well-known Node.js framework that developers use to create web applications and APIs. It’s a lightweight tool with exceptional capabilities to fast-track mobile application development and maximize productivity. Also known as de facto Node.js server framework, its asynchronous nature helps businesses work on multiple requests in one go and connect with external apps without compromising quality.   

Benefits of Express.js for microservices: 

• Provide excellent productivity 

• High performance 

• Quick server-side programming 

• Easy customization of application logic  

Koa.js is a small and lightweight framework that organizations can use to craft mobile applications and APIs. It’s designed with ES6, making it simple to develop mobile apps. Its built-in catch-all modules handle all failures correctly and improve the efficiency of microservices. 

Benefits of Koa.js for microservices: 

• Proper error handling to avoid call-backs 

• Great user experience  

• Readable asynchronous code  

Meteor.js is an open-source JavaScript framework built on a single programming language. It is regarded as one of the most efficient Node.js microservice frameworks.

It delivers data management solutions between the client and servers by dynamically modifying the data. As a result, it is the most effective method for developing efficient online and mobile apps. Furthermore, it functions best as a real-time app. 

Benefits of Meteor.js for microservices:  

• A complete stack solution 

• Develops effective mobile and online applications 

• Easy database integration 

• Live reloading of pages  

Nest.js is a flexible framework that builds server-side applications using TypeScript. Developers choose Nest for creating microservices as it offers the capacity to develop cost-effective microservices; it is best suited for enterprise-level applications; and it maintains adequate documentation.

Benefits of Nest.js for microservices: 

• Provides considerable customization 

• Reliability  

Total.js is a top-rated Node.js microservices framework known for its modularization of binary code and completeness. This framework makes it easier to design apps with reduced maintenance expenses. It provides a comprehensive environment for working with, rather than integrating a few tools and frameworks.  

It offers a comprehensive CMS (Content Management System) experience in many versions, such as HelpDesk, CMS, and Eshop. It is mostly used to develop cloud services and e-commerce systems. Thus, it is the ideal Node.js microservices framework. 

Benefits of Total.js for microservices: 

• Ideal for real-time applications 

• Speeds up development  

• Available in several variants 

Microservices Architecture in Node.js 

Microservices are a type of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) style in which the application structure consists of interconnected services. The application, developed using a microservices architecture, employs lightweight protocols.

Simply put, microservices are software architectures that consist of individual, easily manageable services. This software architecture approach involves breaking down complex applications into independent components. The individual components work together seamlessly through well-defined APIs to ensure optimal functionality.

Clarion designs microservices with a loosely coupled architecture to streamline application development and management. Microservices offer the advantage of quick service development, testing, and deployment, allowing each service to operate independently. 

It's no surprise that microservices are increasingly popular in software application development. Many software professionals are considering using microservice architecture to improve the quality of the software they create. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Building Microservices in Node.js 

Identify the business requirements: In order to build microservices on Node.js, we must employ a variety of techniques. Identifying the business requirements is a crucial first step in the creation process. It is necessary to analyze the software's objective and specifically list the functionalities and features required. 

Initialization: The initialization phase is the first step in building microservices in Node.js. It is here that one sets up the project structure, installs the required tools, and gets everything set up for development. 

Server setup: Setting up the server.js is one of the first steps in Node.js to start building microservices. This includes configuring the basic structure of your microservice, setting up the middleware that is required, and creating routes to handle specific requests. 

Route analysis: This is one of the most important steps in setting up a server for a Node.js microservice. Determining the endpoints through which a microservice will communicate with others or clients, determining the logic to execute on each endpoint, and structuring these routes to maintain their updates are all part of this process. 

Develop controller logic: Composing the logic for controllers is a crucial step in server setup, particularly when preparing microservices in Node.js. Controllers are where the logic that receives requests, performs some data processing, and returns responses to clients sits. 

Creating the external API call: Setting up external API calls is a usual requirement in microservices, as many times these services need to talk with other systems or maybe another microservice. 

Execution: This refers to the process of deploying the microservice, using it, and verifying that all components, including the application configurations required for deployment and monitoring, are functioning as expected. 

Conclusion 

Node.js microservices provide a robust solution for creating adaptable and reliable applications in the current dynamic landscape. By adopting microservice architecture and harnessing the power of Node.js, teams can effectively tackle the issues of scalability, performance, and maintainability while delivering value to users. By employing meticulous planning, deliberate design, and strict adherence to industry standards, organizations can harness the complete capabilities of Node.js microservices and construct resilient applications that effectively address the changing requirements of their users and business. For professional assistance and guidance in implementing Node.js microservices for your business, hire Node.js developers from Clarion Technologies today and elevate your application to new heights.