Micro Frontend Architecture: The Best Way To Build Scalable Frontend

Micro front-ends are gaining popularity as a solution for startups to build a scalable frontend application development.

But why is that?

What are the advantages of using micro front-ends? 

In this article, we’ll explore the primary benefits of using micro frontend architecture in web application development and why it will be a great option for your startup. We’ll also discuss some best practices for implementing it in your project. Whether you’re building an MVP or a full-scale product, understanding how micro front ends can help you scale your projects will lead you to success.

Micro Front end Architecture is a style of frontend development where independent teams build and maintain isolated parts of a front- end application. This isolation allows teams to work independently on their codebases without affecting other parts of the application. Micro Front end Architecture is a splendid solution for startups because it allows them to build a scalable frontend quickly and efficiently. By breaking up the front end into small, manageable pieces, startups can iterate and experiment quickly without worrying about breaking the entire application.

It also has the added benefit of making it easier to maintain and update the front end. If a team needs to change one part of the application, they can do so without affecting other parts of the code base. This makes it much easier to keep the front end up-to-date and running smoothly.

As any business scales, it’s important to consider how the front end will need to grow along with the rest of the company. Unfortunately, many startups don’t think about this until it’s too late. And they’re stuck trying to piece together a scalable front end from an assortment of different technologies. This is where micro frontend architecture comes in.

Micro frontend architecture is a way of building your front end so that we can easily scale it as your business grows. This means breaking down your front end into small, self-contained modules that can be developed and deployed independently.

There are several benefits to using micro frontend architecture for your startup:

• You can use different technologies for different parts of your front end.
• Modules can be developed and deployed independently, so you can iterate quickly without affecting the rest of your front end.
• It’s easier to scale your front end when it’s broken down into smaller pieces.
• You can reuse modules across different parts of your front end, saving development time and effort.

If you’re looking for a way to build a scalable front end for your startup, micro front end architecture is a wise solution.

Micro frontend architecture is a composition of small, independent frontend applications. Each micro frontend application has a specific purpose and responsibility. They are loosely coupled and can be deployed independently.This kind of architecture looks very similar to micro services in the back- end. The crucial difference is that each micro front- end application has its UI. They communicate with each other through APIs.

One benefit of this kind of architecture is that it is easy to scale. When the number of users increases, you can just deploy more instances of each micro frontend application. Another benefit is that it makes it easier to develop and deploy new features. You can just deploy the new feature in one micro frontend application without affecting the others. However, there are also some drawbacks to this kind of architecture. One is that it’s hard to debug because there are so many moving parts. Another is that it’s difficult to keep all the different applications synchronized if they need to share data.

You might think, “This all sounds great, but where do I start?” Let’s walk through some key strategies of micro frontend architecture implementation.

• Start by splitting your monolithic web application into smaller, more manageable chunks. We could do this based on business domains, user types, or product lines.
• Identify which parts of your application are core to the business and need to be tightly integrated, and which parts can be decoupled and recombined as needed.
• Create a shared data layer that allows different parts of the application to share information easily.
• Use standard protocols and formats to help ensure compatibility between different micro front-ends.
• Implement an automated deployment process to make it easy to deploy new micro front ends as needed.

By following these simple strategies of micro frontend architecture, you can start unlocking the power of your web app development.

Also Read:- A Wild Flow Guide To The Web App Development Process

There are many reasons startups are moving towards micro-frontend architecture. The main reason is that it allows them to build a scalable front end quickly and easily. 

Let’s see why micro frontend architecture for startups.

Limitless flexibility for design and development:

One of the major benefits of micro-frontend architecture is the limitless flexibility it provides for design and development.  Speaking of flexibility, React JS is one of the most flexible frontend frameworks you can make use of its advantages. To get to the point, you can use this approach to develop and deploy small, cohesive front-ends based on the needs and requirements of specific users. This allows for a more agile and responsive user experience, as well as a more streamlined development process.

In addition, the micro-frontend makes it easier to manage dependencies and keep track of changes. You can also more easily test and debug individual components, which helps to ensure a better overall user experience.

Decoupled codebases:

When you’re starting, it can tempt you to build a fully integrated product all at once. You have a great idea, so your code and design right away, intending to release a finished product as soon as possible.

But this approach can quickly become a burden. What if your original idea turns out not to be such a great one? Or what if you realize you need to change the product after we have already released it? That’s the basis of why micro frontend architecture for startups comes in. With this approach, we built each feature of your product as its standalone mini-application. This makes it easier to make changes and experiment with new ideas, without having to worry about affecting other parts of the product.

It also leads to a more decoupled codebase, which makes it easier to scale your product as it grows.

Fringe benefits for native browsers:

Startups quickly realize the benefits of micro-frontend architecture for their business. It helps improve web performance and speeds up page loading times, especially on mobile devices. It makes the development process more agile and allows for faster turnaround times for releasing updates and new features. This is crucial for startups that are constantly strengthening and releasing new products and services.

Micro-frontend makes it easier to scale and manage large applications. By dividing an application into smaller, more manageable components, you’re able to optimize and streamline the entire process. These benefits make micro-front-ends a straightforward decision for startups looking to build high-performing, scalable applications.

Quicker build time:

If you’re a startup, this is relevant for you. Building with micro-frontend architecture will speed up the development process and your time to market. How is this possible? The key lies in the parallelization of development and production. When building a single application, there’s usually one large codebase that multiple teams often work on simultaneously. This can lead to long build times and waiting periods while code gets merged into the main branch.

With micro-frontend architecture, multiple teams can work on separate parts of the application independently from each other using smaller codebases. This means that each web app development team can develop features at their own pace and merge them into the system without having to wait for others to finish their part before moving on. This ultimately leads to quicker iteration cycles and faster releases, allowing startups to move faster than ever before.

Automation:

Do you want to bring automation into your architecture? Micro-front-ends are a great option for those who want to reduce manual labor and speed up development. With micro-front-ends, we divide the codebase into multiple pieces, allowing you to use automated tools to build, test and deploy each piece. The pieces are often kept separate from each other, so they can make changes without having to change the entire application.

This makes it easy for different teams or individuals to work on different parts of the same project without having to worry about breaking something else. The separation also allows for better scalability and the ability to easily add new features without having to rewrite everything from scratch.

Autonomous teamwork:

Do you ever feel like it’s hard for teams to come together and communicate effectively when building projects? It’s no surprise that this can hold up progress. But with micro-frontend architecture, teams can work together autonomously while still getting a unified project. Micro-frontend architecture provides developers with the freedom to experiment and develop their front-end modules without needing to coordinate with everyone else on the team. That way, the entire front end is composed of smaller parts, each built by a different developer and then integrated into one cohesive whole.

The result is an effective workflow that eliminates long cycles of back-and-forth between multiple developers. This encourages faster development times as well as improved collaboration between teammates as they are no longer reliant on each other for their success.

Scalable architecture:

If you’re looking for scalable architecture for your startup, micro-frontend architecture is the way to go. That’s because its modular design allows each feature to be managed independently, and that makes scaling much simpler.For example, if you have a feature that’s trending and driving a lot of traffic, you can easily scale up that specific feature to handle the load with micro-frontend architecture. This helps you optimize resources and create a more efficient tech stack.

This structure also makes it easy to add new features without interrupting or changing the existing ones. This means you don’t have to worry about breaking something while adding new apps or services. And that’s why micro-frontend architecture for startups is perfect for rapid change to run more flexibly.

Self-reliant deployment:

So, why should startups consider moving toward micro-frontend architecture? One of the primary advantages is self-reliant deployment. By breaking each component into independent parts, you can deploy more quickly, accurately, and reliably. Something can deploy independently, which means no need for each feature to disrupt or shut down your core product while you implement features. Having this kind of granular control also helps isolate faults when things go wrong and make it easier to roll back changes if needed.

Plus, we can automate deployments with CI/CD pipelines so they are ready when you are allowing engineers to focus on other aspects of their product development cycle.

Reusability of existing workflow:

One of the major benefits of moving towards a micro-frontend architecture is the reusability of existing workflow. By decoupling the front-end code, you can easily scale it up or down without affecting your existing application. This means that adding new functionality and integrating existing systems is simpler and faster.

In addition, you can use the same codebase for multiple projects, which reduces development time and cost significantly. The reusability also allows developers to reuse UI components, so it’s easier to make changes or add new features without having to build from scratch. It’s also easier to maintain since any changes made in one area don’t affect other parts of the system. Ultimately, this is a great option for startups as it reduces overhead costs, keeps development time minimal, and improves performance with faster loading times.

Ineffective faults:

Have you ever had to face complicated bugs, that take lots of time to solve? Micro-frontend Architecture can be your saving grace. With the modular design and individual deployment of each module, you can quickly identify the cause and fix it. Not only does this decrease debugging times and help with immediate fixes, but it also allows for more effective fault containment. When a bug is found in one module, you can easily localize it and make sure that it doesn’t spread throughout the other modules.

Plus, with the ability to deploy each module independently, you don’t need to redeploy your entire system if something goes wrong. Just update the module with the bug and you’re ready! This makes maintenance a lot easier and saves time when dealing with any issues in quality assurance.

There are a few different ways for Micro Frontend Architecture Implementation. The most common is to use a JavaScript library or frameworks like React or Vue.

Another popular way to implement micro frontend architecture is to use a tool like Webpack. This allows you to bundle all of your JavaScript and CSS into a single file, which can then be included on your pages.Finally, you can also use server-side rendering (SSR) to render your HTML on the server before it’s sent to the client. This can be done with Node JS, PHP, Ruby, or any other language that can output HTML. this is how Micro Frontend Architecture Implementation is done.

“No matter which method you choose, the goal is to break up your front end into small, self-contained pieces that can be independently developed, deployed, and updated”

Also Read:- Web Application Architecture; Everything You Need To Know

There are several challenges that developers face when implementing micro-frontend architecture:

• One of the biggest challenges is coordinating updates across all the different micro front-ends. This can be a daunting task, especially if there are a lot of micro front-ends in the application but using angular can make this a less burden even though, learning them is a bit risky but worthwhile.
• Another challenge is debugging. When there are multiple micro front-ends, it’s difficult to debug because each one is its own independently deployed unit.
• Another common challenge is managing the state. With multiple micro front-ends, it’s difficult to manage the state between them. For example, if one micro frontend updates a piece of data, how do you ensure that other micro front ends that need that data are updated as well?
• Finally, performance is often an issue with micro frontend architecture. Because each micro frontend is its own independently deployed unit, it’s difficult to optimize performance across the entire application.

Micro frontend architecture is an alternative approach to frontend development that aims to improve scalability and maintainability by breaking down the monolithic front end into smaller, independent units.

Several benefits can be achieved by using micro frontend architecture for the practices to deploy micro frontend architecture, including

• Improved modularity and reusability of code
• Better separation of concerns
• Easier parallel development
• Reduced dependencies between teams

However, micro frontend architecture is not without its challenges, and there are a few best practices to deploy micro frontend architecture that should be followed to ensure success:

• Establish clear boundaries between micro front-ends. This will help to prevent code duplication and improve maintainability.
• Create a shared library of common components. This will make it easier for developers to create consistent UI/UX across the different micro front-ends.
• Use a standardized build process and tooling. This will make it easier for developers to work with the different micro-front-ends and reduce friction when integrating changes.

Also Read:- 5 Best Reasons To Outsource Web App Development To India