If you have ever used Spotify to listen to your favorite music, you are on a web application with one of the best architecture. As Spotify’s engineers put it, they leverage a partitioning architecture where each feature is independent of the other. So, if one fails, there is no impact on other features, which helps in ensuring lower downtime.
Likewise, web app architecture is essential to your development plans as it defines the relationships between servers, apps, and databases in a system. It is a structure that holds all the vital components together to respond when users interact with the system.
Creating modern web applications is evolving continually, and so is the architecture on which these apps are built. There are several options for web app architectures, from microservice architecture to serverless and SPAs(Single Page Applications). You can even use a hybrid architecture for your web application.
The best-suited web app architecture is best suited to your business needs depending on how you plan the development. Planning will need an understanding of how architecture works and how it will impact your app’s performance? So, let’s understand the working of a web application architecture first.
How does Web App Architecture Work?
Any web application has two major components- client-side(frontend) and server-side(backend). The front end is a code written and stored in the browser. At the same time, the backend is the business logic stored in a server. When a user interacts with the system through a browser, execution of a specific function occurs as per the business logic stored in the server.
Execution of business functions in your web application depends on the type of architecture. For example, microservices architecture will offer a suite of mutually independent services that allow organizations to make changes with minimal disruptions. Similarly, every architecture has a different way of functioning. So, let’s discover different types of architecture with a thorough understanding of their functionality.
1. Microservices Architecture
Microservices architecture is all about distributing the entire application into different, more minor services independent of each other. It is an excellent alternative to your service-oriented architecture, often seen in monolithic applications. The best thing about microservices is that it allows you to tweak codes and make changes without disrupting the business functionality.
Take an example of popular streaming giant Netflix. There are several A/B tests conducted by the streaming service, which span across teams and services. Without architecture-level support, disruptions can occur as test operators tweak configurations on the fly. However, thanks to loosely coupled microservice architecture, Netflix can ensure zero downtime during the A/B tests.
2 Serverless Architecture
Serverless architectures require minimal resource management with all the execution of code facilitated by cloud-service providers. It does not need manual intervention for execution and deployment of the codes allowing you to focus on the product quality. There are two approaches to serverless architecture,
Function-as-a-Service(BaaS)
Backend-as-a-Service(FaaS)
BaaS is an architecture where all the backend activities are managed by third-party services. Vendors offer BaaS solutions with pre-written software that automatically manages authentication, database, and even remote upgrades of components. At the same time, FaaS is an event-driven architecture that allows you to write codes and execute them with a modular approach.
3.Single Page Applications(SPAs)
Single Page Applications are a great way to overcome the limitations of conventional web app architectures like lack of intuitive user experience and smoother navigation. There are separate pages for different menu options when you visit a website, while SPAs offer a single web page with all the data in it. So, you dont need to access new web pages for information.
It allows you to improve the user experience of your web application and also optimize search engine rankings. Here, the entire logic stays in the frontend, allowing you to develop the whole application on the client side.
4. Progressive Web Applications(PWAs)
Progressive Web Applications is one of the most popular architectures globally, with 24% of eCommerce firms planning to invest in it. The best part about PWA architecture is that your web application will have cross-browser compatibility. Apart from that, your web applications are also responsive to different screen orientations.
Your applications offer a rich user experience and run on low-intensity networks with a PWA architecture. Sharing your apps through the link is easy with a PWA, which does not need installation from a play store.
Conclusion
Deciding which architecture to choose for your web app development can be difficult if you don’t have specifics pre-defined. So, it is essential to list down business requirements and then decide which web app architecture you will need.
For example, if you consider a cloud-based web application development, serverless and microservices architectures are the best options. You can even use them together as a hybrid architecture to leverage the benefits of cloud-hosted services and lower dependencies.
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