A Beginner’s Guide to Building Microservices with Node.js

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With the advent and evolution of technology, modern applications have also undergone massive changes. One such innovation that has further bolstered the change is microservices. Microservices’ modular design makes it possible for programmers to design durable, scalable, and adaptable systems. Node.js is a great option for creating microservices because of its scalability and efficiency.

The principles of microservices architecture and how to create them with Node.js will be covered in this blog. Read till the end if you want to get a good understanding of building microservices with Node.js.

What are Microservices?

An application is separated into smaller, independent services using the microservices architectural style. Every service concentrates on a particular business function and uses clearly defined APIs to interact with other services. Microservices encourage loose coupling and autonomous deployment in contrast to monolithic architectures, which have all of their components closely tied.

Important Features of Microservices –

Single Responsibility: Every service takes care of a particular business issue.
Autonomy: The ability to function independently of other services.
Diversity in Technology: Teams can utilise various frameworks or programming languages for various services.
Scalability: Depending on demand, individual services might grow or shrink.
Resilience: If one service fails, the system as a whole does not.

Why Should You Choose Node.js for Microservices?

A well-liked runtime for creating contemporary microservices architectures is Node.js. It is a popular option for developers and companies alike because of its developer-friendly, lightweight, and efficient ecosystem, which perfectly reflects the ideas of microservices. Here’s a detailed look at the advantages of Node.js for microservices and why you should think about using it:

Non-blocking and Event-Driven Architecture

The event-driven, non-blocking I/O mechanism is the foundation of Node.js. This makes Node.js a great option for microservices, which frequently need to execute multiple small, separate jobs at once because it enables it to handle multiple concurrent requests with high efficiency. Node.js guarantees quick and effective execution, lowering latency and enhancing system responsiveness whether managing message queues, database interactions, or API calls.

Scalable And Lightweight

Node.js is lightweight due to its small runtime footprint. Because microservices are self-contained units, their small footprint results in reduced resource usage. Furthermore, Node.js is excellent at horizontal scaling, which lets you add more microservice instances as needed to manage growing loads or traffic.

Rich Tool and Library Ecosystem

The extensive ecosystem of open-source libraries for Node.js is accessible through npm (Node Package Manager). By offering pre-built modules for typical functionality like authentication, data validation, logging, and message brokering, this ecosystem makes microservices development easier. Developers can drastically cut down on development time by rapidly assembling services without having to start from scratch.

Rapid Prototyping And Ease Of Development

Millions of developers throughout the world are familiar with JavaScript, which is used by Node.js. This speeds up the development process and lowers the learning curve. Teams can work together more easily and prototype microservices more quickly by using the same language throughout the frontend and backend stack.

Support for Real-Time Communication and APIs

APIs are essential for microservices to interact with one another. Emerging protocols like GraphQL and RESTful APIs are robustly supported by Node.js. Furthermore, real-time communication between services or with client applications is made possible by its integrated WebSockets support, which is an essential feature for systems that need real-time updates, such as chat apps, dashboards, and collaborative tools.

Additional Benefits of Using Node.js for Microservices

Large Performance: Node.js ensures seamless performance in microservices ecosystems by effortlessly managing large traffic and I/O-intensive processes.
Scalability: It is perfect for horizontally scalable microservices due to its event-driven nature and lightweight architecture.
Cross-Platform: Node.js ensures consistency across many environments by operating on several platforms.
Active Community: A vibrant community guarantees frequent updates, enhancements, and easily accessible assistance.
Real–Time Features: Real-time features are made possible by real-time capabilities, which are crucial for contemporary applications.
Unified Tech Stack: Development and maintenance are made easier by using JavaScript and TypeScript throughout the stack.

Framework for Building Microservices in Node.js

Because it is efficient and lightweight, Node.js is a popular microservices runtime. Frameworks make development easier by providing tools, libraries, and patterns specifically designed for microservices, whereas Node.js offers the essential functionality for building services. The following are some of the best frameworks for Node.js microservices development:

Express.js

A simple and adaptable framework, Express.js is frequently utilised as the basis for microservices. Despite not being specifically made for microservices, its broad ecosystem and ease of use make it a popular option.

The architecture is driven by middleware.
Support for routing and RESTful APIs.
Plugins for increased functionality and a huge community.

Ideal For: Developers who want to create microservices with little overhead and who value flexibility.

NestJS

A feature-rich framework for creating scalable server-side apps, including microservices, is NestJS. It offers a disciplined approach to development and is based on TypeScript.

Important attributes:

The code is organised using a modular design.
Microservices with transport techniques like HTTP, WebSocket, MQTT, and gRPC are already supported.
Injection of dependency for service management.

Ideal For: Developers seeking an enterprise-grade microservices framework with sophisticated capabilities and a strong, opinionated foundation.

Koa.js

The same team created Koa.js, a lightweight and modular substitute for Express.js. For improved readability and speed, it makes use of contemporary JavaScript capabilities like async/await.

Important features include

A middleware-based design that is more flexible than Express.
Small footprint, providing only the necessities.

Ideal For: Developers in need of a simple framework with contemporary JavaScript features.

The Molecular

A microservices framework created especially for Node.js is called Moleculer. It has capabilities designed specifically for microservices development, management, and scaling.

Important attributes:

Load balancing and service discovery are integrated.
Event-driven architecture is supported.
Built-in fault-tolerance, analytics, and caching systems.

Ideal For: Developers seeking a specialised framework to manage microservices’ intricacies right away.

Fastify

A high-performance framework called Fastify was created to help developers create scalable microservices and APIs quickly.

Key Features: High throughput and low overhead optimisation.
Serialisation and validation based on schemas for improved speed.
Architecture relies on plugins to increase functionality.

Ideal For: Developers who give performance and speed first priority while creating microservices.

The needs of your project will determine which framework is best. While NestJS provides a structure for complex systems, Express.js and Koa.js are best suited for specialised, lightweight solutions. For specialised microservices architectures that prioritise performance and scalability, Moleculer and Fastify are great options. To make the construction of Node.js microservices more efficient, pick the framework that most closely matches your objectives.

Configuring the Environment

Make sure your environment is prepared before we begin developing microservices:

Install Node.js: Get Node.js from the official website and install it.
Install npm or Yarn: Yarn is an alternative package manager to npm, which is included with Node.js.
Install Docker (Optional): You can containerise your microservices with Docker.
Select a Framework: Because of its popularity and ease of use, Express.js will be used for this tutorial.

Building a Microservice Architecture Using Node.js

Applications can be designed using the microservices architecture as a group of discrete, self-contained services that can interact with one another. Because each service carries out a distinct function, the system is more scalable, modular, and maintainable.

We’ll go over how to create a basic microservices architecture with Node.js in this tutorial, from setup to deployment.

Step 1: Understanding the Architecture

Let’s dissect the idea before getting into the code:

Decentralisation: Every microservice is a separate module with a codebase and database of its own.
Communication: Message protocols like RabbitMQ or APIs, usually REST, are used by services to communicate with one another.
Scalability: Depending on demand, each service can grow or shrink.
Technology Independence: Although we’ll concentrate on Node.js in this article, you can utilise alternative technologies for different services.

Step 2: Setting Up the Environment

Install Node.js: Go to the official website and download and install Node.js.
Install Yarn or npm: Node.js comes with these package managers.
Optional: To containerise your services, install Docker.
Create Directories: Make a project folder with subfolders for every service. For instance:

/microservices-architecture

/user-service

/product-service

/order-service

Step 3: Setting Up Service

User Service

Open a new Node.js project by navigating to the user-service folder:

cd user-service

npm init -y

To create REST APIs, install Express.js:

npm install express

Use server.js to create a simple server.

const express = require(‘express’);

const app = express();

app.use(express.json());

// Dummy data

const users = [{ id: 1, name: ‘John Doe’, email: ‘john@example.com’ }];

// Routes

app.get(‘/users’, (req, res) => res.json(users));

app.post(‘/users’, (req, res) => {

const newUser = req.body;

users.push(newUser);

res.status(201).json(newUser);

});

app.listen(3001, () => console.log(‘User Service running on port 3001’));

Product Service

To install Express and establish a product-service folder, follow the previous instructions again.

Make the product service’s server.js.

const express = require(‘express’);

const app = express();

app.use(express.json());

// Dummy data

const orders = [{ id: 1, userId: 1, productId: 1, quantity: 2 }];

// Routes

app.get(‘/orders’, (req, res) => res.json(orders));

app.post(‘/orders’, (req, res) => {

const newOrder = req.body;

orders.push(newOrder);

res.status(201).json(newOrder);

});

app.listen(3003, () => console.log(‘Order Service running on port 3003’));

Order Service

Likewise, initialise the project and create an order-service subdirectory.

Build the order service’s server.js.

const express = require(‘express’);

const app = express();

app.use(express.json());

// Dummy data

const orders = [{ id: 1, userId: 1, productId: 1, quantity: 2 }];

// Routes

app.get(‘/orders’, (req, res) => res.json(orders));

app.post(‘/orders’, (req, res) => {

const newOrder = req.body;

orders.push(newOrder);

res.status(201).json(newOrder);

});

app.listen(3003, () => console.log(‘Order Service running on port 3003’));

Step 4: Communication Between Services

It is frequently necessary for services to communicate with one another. For example, the User Service may need to confirm user information with the Order Service.

To send HTTP requests across services, use Axios.

npm install axios

Update order-service/server.js to retrieve product and user information.

const axios = require(‘axios’);

app.post(‘/orders’, async (req, res) => {

const { userId, productId, quantity } = req.body;

// Fetch user details

const userResponse = await axios.get(`http://localhost:3001/users`);

const user = userResponse.data.find(user => user.id === userId);

// Fetch product details

const productResponse = await axios.get(`http://localhost:3002/products`);

const product = productResponse.data.find(product => product.id === productId);

if (!user || !product) {

return res.status(404).json({ error: ‘User or Product not found’ });

}

const newOrder = { id: orders.length + 1, userId, productId, quantity };

orders.push(newOrder);

res.status(201).json(newOrder);

});

Step 5: Containerising Services With Docker

In every service folder, create a Dockerfile.

FROM node:16

WORKDIR /app

COPY package*.json ./

RUN npm install

COPY . .

EXPOSE 3001 # Change this for each service

CMD [“node”, “server.js”]

In the root folder, create a docker-compose.yml file.

version: ‘3’

services:

user-service:

build: ./user-service

ports:

– “3001:3001”

product-service:

build: ./product-service

ports:

– “3002:3002”

order-service:

build: ./order-service

ports:

– “3003:3003”

Use a single command to launch all services.

docker-compose up

Step 6: Testing The System

To test the endpoints, use programs like curl or Postman.

For instance:

GET Users –

curl http://localhost:3001/users

Create Order

curl -X POST http://localhost:3003/orders -H “Content-Type: application/json” -d ‘{“userId”:1,”productId”:1,”quantity”:2}’

Step 7 : Scaling and Future Advancement

Scaling: Based on traffic, scale services using Kubernetes.
Database: For permanence, swap out in-memory data for databases like MongoDB or MySQL.
Monitoring: Keep an eye on the health of your services with tools like Grafana and Prometheus.
API Gateway: To centralise API management, implement an API gateway such as Kong or Express Gateway.

Using Node.js to create a basic microservices architecture is easy and effective. A scalable and maintainable system can be achieved by developing modular services that interact via APIs. This design provides a strong basis for adding more sophisticated capabilities to your program, such as database integration, containerisation, and monitoring tools.

Challenges in Using Node.js for Microservices

Although Node.js is an effective tool for creating microservices, there are drawbacks that may affect maintainability, scalability, and performance. A more effective system may result from an understanding of these issues and the implementation of solutions.

Single-Threaded Nature

Challenge: Because Node.js uses a single-threaded event loop, it is vulnerable to CPU-intensive task performance bottlenecks. Overall efficiency can be decreased if a single service is performing complex calculations since it may impede other processes.

Solution: To transfer complex calculations to different threads, use the worker_threads module. As an alternative, let Node.js handle I/O-bound operations while assigning CPU-intensive work to microservices developed in more appropriate languages like Python or Go.

Handling Asynchronous Code

Challenge: Microservices sometimes need to manage several asynchronous actions, which might result in problems like callback hell or make debugging more difficult.

Solution: Simplify asynchronous workflows by utilising contemporary JavaScript features like Promises and async/await. Complex asynchronous activities can be more efficiently managed with the use of frameworks like RxJS or libraries like Bluebird.

Memory Leaks and Resource Management

Challenge: If left unchecked, memory leaks in Node.js applications can cause crashes or gradually worsened performance.

Solution: Use tools like clinic.js, New Relic, or Heapdump to profile and monitor your application regularly. Avoid using techniques like generating global variables that persist needlessly and instead, write efficient code.

Although Node.js has many benefits for microservices, its inherent problems must be managed carefully. You may lessen these problems and create a reliable, scalable microservices system by utilising contemporary tools, industry best practices, and a well-considered architecture.

Conclusion

Using Node.js to build microservices enables the creation of scalable and maintainable systems. Express and Docker are two solutions that developers can use to quickly build up and deploy services. As you develop, think about adding more sophisticated patterns to your applications, such as CQRS, event-driven architecture, and service meshes. You can learn how to use microservices with Node.js by starting small and concentrating on best practices.