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Microservices
API Design
Layered API Architecture
Organize microservices into layers — fine-grained services below, process APIs orchestrating above.
Intent & Description
Real-world Use Case
Checkout flow: MobileExperienceAPI (experience) → calls CheckoutProcessAPI (process) → orchestrates ProductService + InventoryService + PaymentService (system). Mobile team codes against one stable API; process layer absorbs complexity.
Source
📌 TL;DR
Layered APIs = organize your microservice jungle into tiers. System services at the base, orchestration in the middle, client APIs on top. Great for enterprises, overkill for startups.
Advantages
- Clear separation of concerns across layers
- Gradual migration path from SOA monolith to microservices
- Reuses existing SOA investments while adding microservice agility
- Experience layer enables client-optimized APIs without touching system services
Disadvantages
- Each layer adds network latency hops
- More services to deploy, monitor, and maintain
- Process layer can become a logic dumping ground (anemic system layer risk)
- Requires clear governance to prevent layer coupling