- Your architecture scale with multiple teams working on a single product simultaneously.
- Medium-to-large projects
- Old, large monolith needs to be rebuild
- There are autonomous teams and existing good CI/CD pipelines
- Small projects
- Single team working on a single product
- Is not a clear bounded context defined
- Just for fun and add more complexity
The following decision tree provides a structured approach to evaluating whether Micro Frontends are suitable for your project and guiding you through key considerations during implementation.
Are different teams working on different parts of the frontend?
- Yes: Consider Micro Frontends for independent development and deployment.
- No: Stick with a Monolithic Frontend unless other benefits of Micro Frontends are crucial.
Do you need to split by business domain (e.g., product, checkout, user management)?
- Yes: Use Vertical Split.
- No: Evaluate other criteria.
Do you require build-time integration for shared resources?
- Yes: Consider Build-time Integration using tools like Module Federation (Webpack 5).
- No: Proceed to runtime considerations.
Do you need runtime flexibility and independent deployments?
- Yes: Use Run-time Integration. Choose between:
- Client-side Integration (e.g., Single-SPA)
- Server-side Integration (e.g., Edge Side Includes - ESI)
- No: Build-time integration might suffice.
Do you have a preferred JavaScript framework?
-
Yes: Ensure the chosen framework is compatible with tools like Single-SPA or Module Federation.
-
No: Evaluate the following
- Single-SPA for a framework-agnostic solution.
- Module Federation (Webpack 5) for robust module sharing.
Is shared state or global communication required?
- Yes: Implement Shared State Management using tools like Redux or Context API.
- No: Use Custom Events for loose coupling.
Do you need independent deployment pipelines?
- Yes: Implement Independent Deployment with separate CI/CD pipelines.
- No: Use a Monolithic Deployment pipeline with versioning and coordinated releases.
Is performance a critical concern?
- Yes: Optimize with Lazy Loading, Code Splitting, and effective Caching strategies.
- No: Standard optimization techniques can be applied as needed.
Do you have specific security constraints (e.g., CORS, authentication)?
- Yes: Ensure proper CORS Configuration, implement robust Authentication and Authorization mechanisms.
- No: Apply general security best practices.
- Independent Teams: If multiple teams are responsible for different sections of the frontend, Micro Frontends enable them to work autonomously and deploy independently. Single Team: If one team handles the entire frontend, the complexity of Micro Frontends might outweigh the benefits.
- Vertical Split: Suitable when dividing by business domain, allowing each domain to be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.
- Horizontal Split: Consider for technical capabilities or page sections, such as header, footer, or feature flags.
- Build-time Integration: Suitable when you need tight coupling and shared resources at build time. Tools like Webpack’s Module Federation allow different parts to share code seamlessly.
- Run-time Integration: Best for highly dynamic applications where parts need to be integrated at runtime, offering greater flexibility and independent deployments.
- Single-SPA: A versatile framework that supports various JavaScript libraries and frameworks, allowing multiple frameworks to coexist in a single application.
- Module Federation: Allows dynamic imports and shared modules, promoting reusability and reducing duplication.
- Shared State Management: For applications requiring a unified state across micro frontends, use state management libraries.
- Custom Events: For more decoupled communication, custom events provide a lightweight method for interaction.
- Independent Deployment: Each Micro Frontend can be developed and deployed separately, enabling quicker releases and isolated updates.
- Monolithic Deployment: A coordinated approach where all parts are deployed together, suitable for tightly coupled frontends.
- Lazy Loading: Load components only when needed to improve initial load times.
- Code Splitting: Split code into smaller bundles to optimize load times and performance.
- Caching: Implement effective caching strategies to reduce load times and improve user experience. Security Requirements
- CORS: Properly configure Cross-Origin Resource Sharing for secure communication between different origins. Authentication/Authorization: Ensure secure user authentication and authorization mechanisms across all Micro Frontends.