What Is Microservice Architecture?
Microservice architecture is a software development approach that breaks down large applications into smaller, loosely coupled, self-contained services, commonly referred to as microservices.
Each microservice is independently developed, deployed, secured and scaled, allowing for greater flexibility and efficiency in managing complex applications.
“One key feature of microservices is that they manage their own data independently, with each service maintaining its own database or data source,” says Vishal Ghariwala, senior director and CTO for the Asia Pacific region at SUSE. “This reduces dependencies and simplifies scaling and maintenance.”
Additionally, microservices are not tied to a specific application and can be reused across multiple applications via application programming interfaces.
Ghariwala says by allowing services to function independently, microservice architecture improves scalability, speeds up deployments and enhances security, making it an essential strategy for modern software development.
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How Healthcare Organizations Are Using Microservices Effectively
Chaughtai says healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to microservice architecture to enhance agility and efficiency.
“Unlike traditional monolithic systems, microservices allow organizations to introduce new features or modify existing capabilities without disrupting the entire application,” he explains.
This modular approach enables healthcare providers to swiftly adapt to changing regulations, such as new insurance requirements or value-based care models, while maintaining operational flexibility.
“Microservices are particularly valuable for handling regulatory demands and interoperability,” Chaughtai adds.
For example, microservices can be used to share specific healthcare data quickly, such as patient discharge information or medication histories, improving data exchange between systems.
“By using microservices, healthcare IT teams can rapidly respond to evolving policies, improving overall service delivery and compliance,” he says.