In a distributed monolith architecture, an application is split into multiple services that run on different servers, but the services are still tightly coupled and communicate with each other synchronously through APIs or shared databases. In contrast, a true microservices architecture involves a collection of loosely coupled and independently deployable services, each of which performs a single business function and communicates with other services through lightweight protocols such as REST or messaging queues.
In a distributed monolith architecture, the services may be developed by different teams, but they still share a common codebase and are deployed as a single unit. This can lead to scaling and maintenance challenges as the application grows in size and complexity. Additionally, making changes to one service can affect other services, which can lead to unintended consequences.
In a true microservices architecture, each service is developed and deployed independently, allowing teams to work on different services concurrently without affecting each other’s work. This enables faster development cycles and greater agility in responding to changing business requirements. Each service can also be scaled independently to handle varying levels of traffic.
Overall, a true microservices architecture provides greater flexibility and scalability compared to a distributed monolith architecture. However, it also requires additional tooling and infrastructure to manage the complexity of the service mesh and ensure reliable communication between services.