Transitioning to a Microservices Architecture - Part 2

Microservices and the Development Organization

by Rubens Gomes

Microservice architecture is based on the principles of modular systems that align with the domain-driven design (DDD) paradigm. That is, the architecture is divided into sub-domains, each with specialized responsibilities, and delineated from other modules by what is known as a bounded context. To develop deep expertise and effectively address the concerns of these sub-domains, it is ideal to have development teams composed of specialists in each particular domain. These teams become the owners of the microservices within their respective sub-domains. This type of organizational structure is key to successfully implementing a microservices architecture.

As stated in Conway's Law:

“Organizations which design systems (in the broad sense used here) are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations.”

The implications of Conway's Law are fundamental to the successful implementation of a microservices architecture. Because a microservice is a module with responsibility within a specific domain—and thus has a clear bounded context—assigning dedicated teams to work on specific sub-domains tends to naturally facilitate the development and maintenance of microservices.

In essence, what I’m emphasizing is that to achieve the best results from a Microservice Architecture, an organization must be structured around sub-domain expertise. Microservice architecture goes hand in hand with Conway’s Law. By structuring organizations around sub-domains, you naturally encourage the creation of applications that reflect the structure and purpose of the corresponding microservices. Communication within these expert teams becomes highly cohesive, focused, and aligned with the specific requirements of their sub-domain. This, in turn, supports the development of a clean and efficient Microservice Architecture.

In fact, one way to guide an organization toward a Microservice Architecture is to apply the Reverse Conway Maneuver (also known as Inverse Conway’s Law). This approach suggests that by organizing teams around sub-domain expertise, the system architecture will begin to reflect that structure—resulting in the natural emergence of a Microservice Architecture.