Which are the 13 most popular Java microservice frameworks ?

In this article, we will share with you 13 reliable Java microservice architecture frameworks

1. Spring Boot

 Java has been building Spring applications for a long time. Spring Boot is a specific version of Spring. It makes the construction of microservices easier by handling configuration details. Spring Boot was created to self-start any type of Spring project, not just microservices. After the application is completed, Spring Boot will mix in the web server and output a JAR file, except for the JVM. You can think of it as a raw Docker container. This is why many developers responsible for building microservices like Spring Boot very much.

 Using Spring to develop microservices follows the same MVC philosophy as Web applications. The framework enjoys all the deep connections established in years of Java development, including the integration of all primary and secondary data stores, LDAP servers, and messaging tools such as Apache Kafka. There are also many small features for maintaining a collection of running servers, such as Spring Vault, which is a tool for maintaining passwords required by servers in a production environment. All these advantages explain why Java programmers have liked Spring Boot for many years.

 

2. Eclipse MicroProfile

 In 2016, the Java Enterprise community decided to clean up the content in Java Enterprise Edition so that people can build simple microservices using classic components. They removed a large number of libraries, but retained the functional code for processing REST requests, parsing JSON, and managing dependency injection, which was eventually called Eclipse MicroProfile, which was fast and simple.

Since then, the MicroProfile community has developed an agreement to release a new version every quarter, while adding new code to keep the microservices running smoothly and securely. Any Java EE developer will be very familiar with the development process and code structure, and it saves the trouble of configuration.

 

3. Dropwizard

When Dropwizard appeared in 2011, the Dropwizard framework provided developers with a very simple model, which contained many important modules. You can add some business logic or configure other content according to your needs. Finally, you will find that the JAR file is very It is small and can be started quickly.

Perhaps the biggest limitation of Dropwizard is the lack of dependency injection. If you want to use dependency injection to keep your code clean and loosely coupled, you need to add libraries yourself. This is different from Spring, but now Dropwizard also supports most features, including logging, health checks, and providing flexible code.

 

4. WildFly Thorntail

The Red Hat staff used a flexible configuration tool to build their own version of MicroProfile. The framework was originally called WildFly Swarm, but was later renamed WildFly Thorntail. Thorntail helps you create your own Maven build file by specifying the required features, and then Maven is responsible for assembling everything.

Thorntail will also scan the code to detect components, which can also be overwritten with a BOM (Bill of Materials) file. When it is all running, Thorntail will delete the unused parts of the Java Enterprise Edition and create a small JAR file that can be deployed with one command-this is a very clever feature that allows the Thorntail project to call it Uber-JAR. This is another traditional method that follows Java Enterprise Edition, and it does not retain all the heavy burdens.

 

5. Helidon

Helidon removed Java Enterprise Edition, retained the lightweight, servlet-based core, and attracted a large number of fans. At Helidon, the developers started from Netty and added code for routing and error handling. It uses two basic models of the code, the so-called SE and MP versions.

Node developers may be more familiar with Helidon SE because it has function calls connected by periods. Java programmers who use JAX-RS are more familiar with Helidon MP. In addition, Helidon also integrates some well-received tools, these are the reasons it can attract a large number of developers.

 

6. Cricket

Another framework for rapid API development is Cricket. Cricket is small, although it includes many additional features, such as key-value data storage, to avoid connecting to the database and scheduler to control background repetitive processing. No complexity or other dependencies are added, so it is easy to add code to Cricket and start independent microservices.

 

7. Jersey

One of the standard methods for developing web services is the Java API (also known as JAX-RS) for RESTful web services, which is a common specification implemented in the Jersey framework. This method mainly relies on the use of annotations to specify path mapping and return details. Everything else from parameter parsing to JSON packaging is handled by Jersey.

The main advantage of Jersey is that it implements the JAX-RS standard. This feature is very popular. Some developers are used to combining Jersey with Spring Boot.

 

8.Play

 One of the best ways to experience the JVM's cross-language capabilities is to use the Play framework, which is compatible with Java or any other JVM language. Its foundation is very modern, with an asynchronous, stateless model that will not overload the server with threads trying to track users and their session data. There are many additional features that can be used to enrich the website, such as OpenID, authentication, and file upload support.

The Play code base has been developed for more than ten years, so you will also find this ancient feature similar to XML support. Play is mature and light, and this combination is quite distinctive.

 

9.Swagger

Building an API seems as simple as writing a code that listens to the port, but the developers of Swagger don't think so. They have created a complete API specification language OpenAPI, which you can use to describe your API. This seems to be an extra step, but the Swagger team also provides code to convert the specification into automated tests, documentation, etc.

The API in the Swagger configuration file is very simple, used to implement the interface, record the interface, and provide a set of tools to test the code built under it, and there is even an API governance mechanism.

Swagger is an api ecosystem, it is not limited to Java. If your team migrates to Node.js or any of dozens of other languages, there is a Swagger Codegen module that converts the OpenAPI specification into an implementation of that language.

 

10. Restlet

One of the biggest differences between different frameworks is the number of connections to other services or libraries. The Restlet project provides a larger set of features and connections. It has been integrated with libraries such as JavaMail to avoid the need for microservices to use POP, IMAP or SMTP for certain mail servers; to prevent the construction of a large number of text indexes and metadata, it also integrates Lucene and Solr.

There are still many features in Restlet under continuous development. For example, you don't need to use JSON, because it can directly handle XML, CSV, YAML and some other file formats. In addition, it also allows users to test APIs from the Chrome browser.

 

11. Squash

Microservice debugging has always been a major challenge for developers because these components are loosely coupled and it is difficult to track the data flow through all layers of the system. By using Squash, you can set breakpoints in the code running on the Kubernetes cluster, and then receive all the data in the IDE just like running the code locally. Squash also integrates Node.js and Python runtime

 

12. Telepresence

 Another option for debugging is to use Telepresence, which can create a local proxy for microservices on a remote Kubernetes cluster. In the local version, you can set breakpoints or perform any operation that can be performed on the local computer.

 

13. Zipkin

 Zipkin is used to record events on various microservices, allows developers to collect monitoring data on various Twitter services, and provides query interfaces. Zipkin has at least six language versions such as Java, so it can handle multi-language systems. Many frameworks have integrated Zipkin in some form, such as Spring.