From @SumitM_X
You are planning to introduce breaking changes to a public-facing microservice API that is being used by multiple clients. How would you manage these changes to ensure existing clients are not disrupted?
The Strangler Fig pattern is an architectural pattern used in software development to incrementally migrate a legacy system to a new one. The name comes from the strangler fig plant, which grows around a host tree and eventually replaces it.
Here’s a brief overview of how it works:
- Incremental Replacement: Instead of replacing an entire legacy system at once, you gradually replace specific pieces of functionality with new applications and services.
- Façade: A façade intercepts requests going to the backend legacy system and routes them either to the legacy application or the new services. This allows the old and new systems to coexist during the transition.
- Gradual Migration: Over time, as more features are migrated to the new system, the legacy system is eventually “strangled” and can be safely decommissioned12.
This pattern helps minimize risks and spread the development effort over time, making it easier to manage complex migrations12.