---
title: "Microservices Architecture"
description: "Microservices architecture considerations for TraceRTM"
keywords: [microservices, architecture, services, distributed]
---

# Microservices Architecture

Microservices architecture considerations and patterns for TraceRTM.

## Current Architecture

TraceRTM currently uses a **monolithic architecture** with clear separation of concerns:

- API Layer (FastAPI)
- Service Layer (Business Logic)
- Repository Layer (Data Access)
- Database Layer (PostgreSQL)

## When to Consider Microservices

### Benefits

- **Independent Scaling**: Scale services independently
- **Technology Diversity**: Use different tech stacks per service
- **Team Autonomy**: Teams can work independently
- **Fault Isolation**: Failures in one service don't affect others

### Drawbacks

- **Complexity**: More complex to deploy and monitor
- **Network Latency**: Inter-service communication overhead
- **Data Consistency**: Distributed transactions are complex
- **Operational Overhead**: More services to manage

## Potential Service Boundaries

If migrating to microservices, consider:

### 1. Item Service

```python
# Handles items (requirements, test cases, etc.)
POST /api/v1/items
GET  /api/v1/items/{id}
PUT  /api/v1/items/{id}
```

### 2. Link Service

```python
# Handles traceability links
POST /api/v1/links
GET  /api/v1/links
GET  /api/v1/items/{id}/links
```

### 3. Search Service

```python
# Handles search functionality
POST /api/v1/search
GET  /api/v1/search/suggestions
```

### 4. Analytics Service

```python
# Handles impact analysis, metrics
GET /api/v1/analysis/impact/{id}
GET /api/v1/analysis/metrics
```

## Communication Patterns

### Synchronous (HTTP/REST)

```python
# Direct HTTP calls between services
response = requests.get("http://item-service/api/v1/items/123")
```

### Asynchronous (Events)

```python
# Event-driven communication
event_bus.publish("item.created", data)
  → link_service handles event
  → search_service handles event
```

## Service Discovery

### Options

- **Kubernetes**: Built-in service discovery
- **Consul**: Service discovery and configuration
- **Eureka**: Netflix service discovery

## Related Documentation

- [System Design](./01-system-design) - Overall architecture
- [Scalability](./06b-scalability) - Scaling strategies
