Nacos 3.0 Deep Dive: Decoupled Architecture & Flexible Deployments

Architecture Upgrade: Decoupling and Security Boost

Nacos 3.0 separates the console from the server, improving system structure and overall security.

Port Separation: Dual Access Mechanism

The new version introduces independent console ports:

Traditional access :

IP:8848/nacos

(2.x)

New access :

IP:8080/nacos

(3.0)

This design isolates the management UI (8080) from the service API (8848), preventing unauthorized access.

Three Deployment Modes

⚡ Merged Mode (MERGED)

<code># 启动参数 merged # 默认值，无需显式指定</code>

A single Nacos process provides registration, configuration, and the full console.

🔋 Server Mode (SERVER)

<code># 启动参数 server</code>

Focuses on core API services without a UI, suitable for high‑availability clusters.

🖥️ Console Mode (CONSOLE)

<code># 启动参数 console</code>

Runs only the management console, allowing connection to one or more remote Nacos clusters.

Core Port Overview

8080 – Console port for UI access (internal network, set permissions).

8848 – HTTP API port for service registration and configuration (internal microservice traffic).

9848 – gRPC client port for high‑performance communication (internal).

9849 – gRPC inter‑cluster port for node synchronization (cluster‑only).

7848 – JRaft protocol port for distributed consistency (cluster‑only).

New Bootstrap Startup Engine

Nacos 3.0 introduces a modular bootstrap starter that drives all components through a unified entry point, reducing coupling.

Unified Startup Entry : All components are launched by the bootstrap module.

Multi‑Stage Process : Core → Server → Console.

Modular Loading : On‑demand component activation for efficient resource use.

Embedded Nacos Integration for Microservices

Nacos 3.0 can be embedded directly into SpringBoot applications, offering version compatibility and zero external dependencies.

Three‑Step Embedded Setup

1️⃣ Add Minimal Dependencies

<code>&lt;dependencies&gt;
  &lt;!-- Nacos integration package (personal release) --&gt;
  &lt;dependency&gt;
    &lt;groupId&gt;io.github.pig-mesh.nacos&lt;/groupId&gt;
    &lt;artifactId&gt;nacos-console&lt;/artifactId&gt;
    &lt;version&gt;3.0.0&lt;/version&gt;
  &lt;/dependency&gt;

  &lt;dependency&gt;
    &lt;groupId&gt;io.github.pig-mesh.nacos&lt;/groupId&gt;
    &lt;artifactId&gt;nacos-server&lt;/artifactId&gt;
    &lt;version&gt;3.0.0&lt;/version&gt;
  &lt;/dependency&gt;
&lt;/dependencies&gt;</code>

2️⃣ Configure Application Parameters

Edit

application.properties

with the core Nacos settings (refer to the official template).

3️⃣ Create Efficient Startup Class

<code>public class NacosApplication {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Standalone mode
        System.setProperty(ConfigConstants.STANDALONE_MODE, "true");
        // Determine deployment type (merged/server/console)
        String type = System.getProperty(Constants.NACOS_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE, Constants.NACOS_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE_MERGED);
        DeploymentType deploymentType = DeploymentType.getType(type);
        EnvUtil.setDeploymentType(deploymentType);
        // Phase 1: Core services
        NacosStartUpManager.start(NacosStartUp.CORE_START_UP_PHASE);
        ConfigurableApplicationContext coreContext = new SpringApplicationBuilder(NacosServerBasicApplication.class)
                .web(WebApplicationType.NONE)
                .run(args);
        // Phase 2: Server web
        NacosStartUpManager.start(NacosStartUp.WEB_START_UP_PHASE);
        ConfigurableApplicationContext serverWebContext = new SpringApplicationBuilder(NacosServerWebApplication.class)
                .parent(coreContext)
                .run(args);
        // Phase 3: Console
        NacosStartUpManager.start(NacosStartUp.CONSOLE_START_UP_PHASE);
        ConfigurableApplicationContext consoleContext = new SpringApplicationBuilder(NacosConsole.class)
                .parent(coreContext)
                .run(args);
    }
}</code>

4️⃣ One‑Click Launch

Run the application and access the embedded console at

http://localhost:8080/nacos

for a unified service‑governance experience.

Conclusion

Nacos 3.0’s decoupled architecture, modular design, and embedded integration dramatically improve flexibility, security, and usability, catering to both large‑scale enterprise deployments and lightweight development environments.