It's clear that microservices are the current hot architectural pattern, covered extensively on blogs, in the tech news at software conferences. Several times a week, InfoQ has a news item, podcast or presentation mentioning microservices.

But is it all just hype and a pattern useful at startups working on greenfield applications? And is the dreaded monolith, the antithesis of a microservices architecture, really dying a slow death, barely limping along until a complete replacement is built?

The reality looks closer to the compromises that any software architect will recognize. Both architectures come with pros and cons, and it is important to understand all the trade-offs before deciding that the monolith has to go, and microservices are the answer. A common theme is managing complexity, and successful solutions (with either architecture) strongly embrace concepts of Domain-Driven Design.

This eMag includes articles written by experts who have implemented successful, maintainable systems across the spectrum of microservices to monoliths.