How does monolithic service architecture differ from microservices structure?

A monolithic architecture is when all components of an application (interface, business logic, data access) are combined into one large application. In such a service, all parts are tightly integrated and deployed together.

Microservice architecture breaks down the application into many small, independent services, each responsible for its part of the functionality and deployable separately.

Main differences:

• Scalability: microservices can be scaled independently, while a monolith scales as a whole.
• Development: microservices allow different teams to work in parallel on different services.
• Updates: in microservices, individual parts can be updated without stopping the entire application.
• Complexity: microservices require managing communication between services and a more complex infrastructure.

Example: in an online store, a monolith might contain the product catalog, shopping cart, and payment in one application. In microservices, these would be separate services that interact via API.