Do you prioritize DevEx in Microservice Architecture?

You've just started on a microservices-based project. You're excited to dive in, but quickly find yourself lost in a maze of undocumented services. There's no clear way to run or debug the microservices locally, and you're left guessing how to configure your environment.

The lack of comprehensive documentation means you spend hours piecing together information from various sources, and every small change requires a tedious setup process. The frustration mounts as you encounter integration issues with other microservices, and there's no one-stop guide to help you troubleshoot.

This chaotic environment not only hampers your productivity but also dampens your morale. So how can you prevent these problems?

Microservice architecture can be complex, and ensuring a positive developer experience (DevEx) is crucial for maintaining productivity and morale within your development team. Here are some key areas to focus on to ensure your DevEx is top-notch:

Ensure your documentation is bullet-proof

• Comprehensive and up-to-date documentation is essential. Each microservice should have clear and concise documentation that covers:
  • API endpoints and their usage
  • Configuration settings
  • Deployment instructions
  • Common troubleshooting steps
  • Which services are required for which flows (large Microservice environment)

Keep it accessible

• Documentation should be easily accessible to all team members. The recommended way is to have a great readme file at the top level of your repo. See our awesome documentation rule for great tips on what to include!
• If your Microservices span multiple repositories, each repo's readme should have all the information needed to start that particular application in isolation. Instructions on starting multiple applications in unison should be kept in a higher level document - typically a Wiki or other platform that can be linked to from each readme.

Create a seamless "F5 experience" per microservice

• Developers should be able to run and debug each microservice locally with minimal setup. This includes:
  • Providing clear instructions for setting up the development environment
  • Using containerization (e.g., Docker) to ensure consistency across different environments
  • Automating common tasks such as database migrations and seeding
  • Minimal reliance on shared or volatile data & services

Simplify local development

• Ensure that dependencies are well-managed and that developers can easily spin up any required services or databases locally.

A great way to tackle this problem is via an Up script ( ie Up.ps1 or Up.sh), where a developer executes the script and has all data, infra, and config automatically provisioned in their development environment.

If you're building a .NET application, an even better way is using .NET Aspire.

Foster a culture of collaboration

• Encourage open communication and collaboration among team members. This can be achieved through:
  • Regular code reviews
  • Pair programming sessions
  • Knowledge-sharing meetings or brown bag sessions

Use modern tools and practices

• Adopt modern development tools and practices that enhance DevEx, such as:
  • Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines
  • Automated testing frameworks
  • Code quality tools (e.g., linters, static analysis)

By prioritizing DevEx, you can create a more efficient, enjoyable, and productive environment for your development team, ultimately leading to better outcomes for your microservice architecture.