Monolithic Architecture

This post is a definition of terms for monolithic architecture – including exam questions and tags.

In a Nutshell

Monolithic architecture means: all functional units are implemented in a single cohesive system and are operated as one deployable.

Compact Technical Description

A monolith combines modules from UI through business logic to data access in a single codebase and is built, tested, and delivered as one process.

Advantage: simple structure and deployment. Disadvantage: as it grows, changes become riskier, scaling is coarse (only as a whole), maintainability decreases.

Exam-Relevant Key Points

• All components bundled
• Simple deployment
• High maintenance effort with growing codebase (IHK)
• Common in legacy or small projects
• Security risks due to lack of isolation
• Economical for small scale, expensive for scaling
• Documentation + possible migration assessment

Core Components

1. Unified codebase
2. Shared data model
3. Integrated logic
4. Shared UI
5. Central pipeline
6. Central logging/monitoring

Practical Example

Web shop as a monolith:
Frontend/Backend/DB tightly coupled, every change requires re-deployment of the entire app.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Simple setup
• Direct communication
• Good internal performance

Disadvantages

• Re-deployment with every change
• Harder to test with large codebase
• Scaling only as a whole

Typical Exam Questions (with Short Answer)

1. What is a monolith? All system components in one application.
2. When is it useful? Small/medium apps with stable requirements.
3. How to modernize? Modularize or gradually extract services.

Further Information

1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/guide/architecture-styles/monolithic