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Sidecar solutions: Enhancing microservices without the overhead

Published by Alex Olivier on August 31, 2023
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The full article is available on Cloud Native Now - read it here.

Having worn the architect hat at numerous companies, I’m no stranger to the allure of microservices; this is the architecture that is designed to solve everything from scaling to isolation and compartmentalization. However, if we cut through the technical jargon and strip it down, scaling microservices and container-based architectures is about as straightforward as building an IKEA flat-pack wardrobe with no instructions. It’s a challenge, but for certain types of functionality such as logging, authentication and authorization, the sidecar pattern promises to solve our problems with a touch of ‘added functionality’ magic.

The sidecar pattern, in simple terms, is like having a helpful co-pilot for your primary service. This design approach allows you to add functionalities without having to mess with the primary service’s codebase. It sounds attractive, sure, but is it all sunshine and roses? Here are some thoughts.

Considerations Before Adopting Sidecars

You wouldn’t take off without a pre-flight check, right? Similarly, don’t launch blindly into adopting sidecars without considering the ramifications. Think about the added complexity, potential performance bottlenecks and the need for experienced personnel to manage them.

The full article is available on Cloud Native Now - read it here.

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