Micro Frontend Architecture

What is Micro Frontend Architecture?

Micro Frontend Architecture is a design approach in software development where the frontend of an application is decomposed into smaller, semi-independent “microapps” working loosely together. Each microapp handles a distinct business domain or feature of the application, similar to how microservices architecture works for backend systems.

Where is it Used?

Micro Frontend Architecture is particularly useful in large-scale, complex applications developed by multiple teams. It allows different teams to work autonomously, choosing their own technology stacks and release cycles for different parts of the application. This approach is widely adopted in enterprises with multiple teams working on large web applications, like e-commerce platforms, online services, and enterprise-level software.

How Does it Work?

Micro Frontend Architecture involves several key practices:

• Decomposition: The frontend is split into smaller, manageable parts, each responsible for a specific feature or business domain.
• Integration: These micro frontends are integrated into a shell application or through integration at the build level, server level, or client level using JavaScript frameworks.
• Independent Development: Each micro frontend can be developed, tested, and deployed independently using its preferred frameworks and tools.
• Communication: Micro frontends communicate with each other and the backend through well-defined APIs or message-passing techniques.
• Autonomy: Teams have autonomy in terms of deployment and development, leading to quicker iterations and less risk of deploying updates.

Why is Micro Frontend Architecture Important?

• Scalability: Supports scaling development teams and application features independently.
• Flexibility: Allows teams to use different technologies and frameworks that best suit their needs.
• Maintainability: Enhances maintainability through modular codebase and separation of concerns.
• Autonomy: Empowers teams to take ownership of their part of the application, from development to deployment.
• Faster Time to Market: Enables faster updates and innovation by allowing individual teams to deploy independently.

Key Takeaways/Elements:

• Modularity: Promotes building applications as a composition of distinct features.
• Decoupling: Ensures that micro frontends are loosely coupled but functionally coherent.
• Technology Agnosticism: Each team can choose their own technologies and tools.
• Reusable Components: Facilitates the reuse of components across different parts of the application.
• Independent Deployments: Allows individual parts of the application to be updated without impacting others.

Real-World Example:

A global financial services firm utilizes micro frontend architecture for its consumer banking portal, which is handled by multiple teams across different regions. Each team manages specific features like account management, loan services, and investment portfolios independently, using their chosen frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue.js. This approach not only speeds up development and deployment cycles but also localizes the impact of changes, minimizing disruption to the overall service.