Introduction

Definition #

A self-contained system (SCS) is a type of microservice that specifies elements of a macro architecture. SCSs do not represent a complete macro architecture. The area of operation, for instance, is completely missing.

The idea behind SCS is to provide microservices that are self-contained, providing everything needed for the implementation of a part of the domain logic.

This means an SCS includes logic, data, and a UI. That also means if a change impacts all technical layers, it can still be contained in one SCS, making it easier to perform the change and put it into production.

So, an SCS for a microservice payment would store all information relevant to payment – that is, it would implement a bounded context. But it would also implement the UI – web pages to show the payment history or make a payment. Data about customers or ordered items would need to be replicated from other SCSs.