Slices: The Right Size for Microservices

The microservices architecture has long been plagued by the issue of determining the optimal size of a service, with teams often oscillating between extremes. However, a new approach, known as Slices, has emerged as a potential solution. Slices are deployable units defined by their contract, which is specified through an interface with a single annotation. This approach focuses on boundaries rather than size, allowing for clear contracts, explicit dependencies, and internal freedom. The Slice interface is the boundary, defining the contract and dependencies, while the implementation lives behind it. Slices run on Aether, a distributed runtime, and can be developed and tested using Forge, a development environment. This approach eliminates the need for arbitrary rules about service size and allows for flexible deployment. By shifting the focus from size to boundaries, Slices provide a more effective way to design and deploy microservices, making it easier to manage complexity and ensure scalability.