Definition
Microservices represent an architectural style that structures an application as a collection of small, independent, and loosely coupled services. Each service focuses on a specific business capability and communicates with others over a network, often using lightweight protocols like HTTP/REST. This approach allows development teams to build, deploy, and scale individual services independently, leading to greater agility and resilience. For example, an e-commerce platform might use separate microservices for user authentication, product catalog management, and order processing. This contrasts with monolithic architectures where all functionalities are bundled into a single, large application. Understanding microservices is crucial for cloud architects and developers, appearing on exams like AWS Certified Solutions Architect and CCSP.