Microservices architecture breaks applications into small, independent services that work together. This approach offers flexibility, scalability, and resilience compared to monolithic architecture.
Each microservice handles a specific business function and communicates through APIs. Services can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. Different teams can work on different services simultaneously.
Challenges include increased complexity in deployment and monitoring. Service discovery, API gateways, and container orchestration help manage distributed systems. Benefits outweigh challenges for large, complex applications.