Xiaokun's Architecture Exploration Notes

Nov 2, 2025 · Backend Development

Why Strict and Loose Contracts Matter in Microservice Architecture

This article explores the role of contracts in software architecture, explaining why architectural-level contract decisions are crucial, comparing strict and loose contracts such as gRPC, REST, and key‑value formats, and introducing consumer‑driven contracts, their trade‑offs, and practical guidelines for reducing coupling and brittleness in microservices.