Micro Frontends: What are they, and When to use them?

What are Micro Frontends?

Micro frontends are a design approach where a frontend monolith is divided into smaller, more manageable pieces. Think of them as the frontend counterpart to microservices for the backend. Rather than one large, interconnected codebase, you have multiple, smaller codebases. Each of these are responsible for a specific set of features or part of the user interface, and they can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.

Why Do We Need Micro-Frontends?

Micro Frontends offer a solution to challenges that arise in software development, particularly when working with multiple frameworks or large teams. Traditionally, changing a framework or integrating a module from a different framework could require rewriting an entire project, a time-consuming task. In large projects, coordinating between multiple teams on a unified codebase can lead to overlaps, increasing complexity and delays.
 

The image shows the modular development using Micro front end approach

Micro Frontend addresses these issues by allowing modular development. You can build a main app responsible for authentication and routing, and then add child apps developed in various frameworks. These child apps run independently but can be loaded from the same domain, streamlining development and reducing the need for major rewrites. This enables easier collaboration and offers the flexibility to integrate new modules without disrupting the existing architecture.

Benefits of Micro Frontends

Adopting micro frontends can make your web development process more agile. Here are some of the advantages:

• Independent Development: Different teams can work on different components simultaneously. This boosts productivity as there's less waiting around for other pieces of the puzzle to be completed.
• Tech Agnostic: Since each micro frontend is independent, you can use different technologies, allowing you to pick the best tool for each job.
• Scalability: With components that are decoupled from each other, it's easier to scale your application. You can focus on scaling only the necessary components rather than the whole system.

Read more on Scaling Microservices

• More accessible Updates: When changes are needed, they can be made to individual components without affecting the entire module. This speeds up the update cycle and reduces the risk of breaking other functionalities.
• Reusability: Components are often reusable across different projects, making rolling out new features or even entire applications faster.

Micro frontends offer a more modular and scalable approach to building web applications, allowing development teams to work in parallel while using different technologies optimistically.

The Architecture of Micro Frontends

Key Components and Principles
When looking at micro frontends, you'll notice that they're built around a couple of fundamental components:

• Isolated Modules: Each frontend component is a self-contained unit. This isolation allows for easier testing and updates.
• Centralized Orchestration: A central layer often manages how these isolated modules work together to form the complete user interface.
• Cross-functional Teams: Different teams can focus on separate parts of the front end, making the development process more streamlined.

The core principles behind this architectural style include modularity, simplicity, and the ability to evolve your application incrementally.

Integration Techniques

How do these isolated modules come together to create a unified user experience? There are several methods:

• Server-side Composition: The server assembles the final UI by stitching together various components before sending it to the client.
• Client-side Composition: This occurs directly in the browser. Each component is a separate asset loaded and displayed on the web page.
• Edge-side Includes (ESI): This technique combines server-side and client-side approaches. Components are assembled closer to the user via a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

Understanding the architecture and how the modules interact will help you get the most out of micro frontends, whether you're a developer or an architect. Keep these key components and integration techniques in mind as you plan or update your web application.

Scenarios for Using Micro Frontends

Complex User Interfaces

If your web application has a diverse and intricate UI, then micro frontends are a perfect fit. In a traditional monolithic setup, changes to one part of the UI can affect the entire application, making updates risky. Micro frontends allow you to break down these complexities into smaller, manageable parts. Each part can be developed and updated independently, minimizing the risk of affecting other sections.

Independent Team Workflows
Micro frontends are also an excellent option for teams that want to work in parallel without stepping on each other's toes. Because each micro frontend corresponds to a discrete part of the application, teams can develop, test, and deploy their sections in isolation. This encourages faster development cycles, easier troubleshooting, and better team productivity.

Legacy System Integration
One of the biggest challenges in software development is modernizing old systems. If you have a legacy system and you're looking to bring it up to date, micro frontends can be very helpful. You can gradually replace outdated components with new micro frontends without disrupting the existing user experience or backend functionality. This incremental approach makes it easier to phase out old technologies and introduce new ones, all while keeping the system stable.

In summary, micro frontends offer a modular way to build, manage, and update web applications, making them ideal for complex UIs, independent team workflows, and legacy system overhauls.

Implementing Micro Frontends

Technologies and Tools

Selecting the right technology stack is crucial for those keen on building web applications using micro frontends. The most commonly used frameworks include React, Angular, and Vue.js, with each having its own set of advantages and ecosystems. Likewise, you might want to look at Docker and Kubernetes for containerization and orchestration. Also, Webpack can be your go-to solution for module bundling and task automation.

Read More on Kubernetes Microservices Architecture

If you’d like to know more automation tools like Docker and Kubernetes checkout  The Best DevOps Automation Tools used in 2023

Design Considerations

Choosing the correct architecture is essential for micro frontends. Break your UI into smaller, manageable components that can function independently. Divide and rule should be your mantra here. You can use options like Redux or MobX for data sharing across components. Always remember that communication between micro frontends should be minimal, so design your APIs and services accordingly.

Read more on Microservice Communication: A Complete Guide 2023

As you decide on your architecture, make sure to include feature toggles. They allow you to enable or disable features easily, making testing and deploying new functionalities simpler.

When it comes to responsiveness, prioritize making your app mobile-friendly. Media queries and CSS frameworks like Bootstrap can be of great help here. Lastly, consider security features such as authentication and encryption to keep your app secure.

By focusing on these technologies and design considerations, you can build a scalable and maintainable micro frontend architecture for your web application.

Challenges and Trade-offs in Micro Frontends

Increased Complexity vs. Isolation

When breaking down a monolithic frontend into micro frontends, one of the first obstacles you might encounter is increased complexity. Yes, each team can work on their section independently, but that freedom comes at the cost of more moving parts. You'll need to manage coordination among multiple codebases, APIs, and even team workflows. This can make the development cycle more laborious and prone to errors.

On the flip side, the isolation gained is invaluable. Each micro frontend can be updated, scaled, or even rewritten without affecting the others. This makes experimenting and rolling out changes easier, giving teams more autonomy.

Performance Considerations

Adopting a micro frontend approach also calls for careful attention to performance metrics. Unlike monolithic architectures, where assets might be bundled together, micro frontends often require separate network calls to load each component. This could slow down your application's load time and affect user experience.

Moreover, managing states across multiple micro frontends can be tricky and may require extra resources for consistent data flow. Some strategies to mitigate these issues include server-side rendering and code splitting, but these require meticulous planning and implementation.

In summary, micro frontends offer many advantages, but they come with their own challenges and trade-offs. If you're looking to build web applications using this architecture, being aware of these pitfalls will help you make informed decisions.

Real-world Examples

Industry Application

Micro frontends are making waves in various industries, but their impact is especially notable in sectors that require complex and modular web applications. For instance, in the healthcare industry, micro frontends allow different teams to work on separate components like patient records, appointment scheduling, and billing systems. This modular approach means faster updates and improvements without compromising the overall user experience.

E-commerce Platform
In the world of online shopping, micro frontends come as a boon. Imagine an e-commerce site where the product listing, cart functionality, and customer reviews are each managed by different teams. 

Each component can be developed, updated, and deployed independently with a micro frontend approach. This results in quicker feature releases and allows the platform to adapt to market changes in no time. For instance, a team could update the recommendation algorithm without waiting for the cart functionality to be updated. The end result is an agile, responsive online shopping experience that can evolve quickly to meet customer demands.

Get to know Why eCommerce Microservices & Headless Are the Future

In both these scenarios, the use of micro frontends allows for a more flexible, modular, and rapid development cycle, meeting the specific needs of each industry. This approach holds the key to a more agile and adaptive web application architecture.

Evaluating Suitability for Your Project

Before jumping onto the micro frontends bandwagon, evaluating whether this architectural pattern suits your project is crucial. Here are some factors you should consider:

• Complexity and Scale: If your project is large and complex, breaking it down into micro frontends can make management more effortless. However, for small projects, this approach might be overkill.
• Team Structure: Micro frontends work well when multiple teams work on different aspects of the project. This allows each team to focus on a particular section, using the tools and languages they are most comfortable with.
• Performance: Consider how micro frontends will affect the speed and responsiveness of your application. While this architecture promotes flexibility, improper implementation can result in slow load times.
• Cost and Time: Implementing micro frontends can be costly and time-consuming initially. Assess whether your organization has the resources to invest in this approach.
• Maintenance: This architecture can simplify updates and rollbacks but may introduce complexities in integrating the various components.

Conclusion

Micro frontends offer a modular approach to building web applications, making managing large, complex projects and multiple teams easier. However, they're not a one-size-fits-all solution. Weigh the benefits against the drawbacks and analyze your specific needs to determine if micro frontends are the right fit for your project.
With SayOne Tech's expertise in MicroFrontend + Microservices development, you can unlock the full benefits of this architecture for your web application

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