1. Frontend isolation
Each backend can be customized to meet the specific needs of a frontend type, resulting in a more tailored and efficient user experience. This approach ensures that differences between devices, roles, or protocols are managed independently, without affecting other frontends.
2. Decentralization
By assigning a dedicated backend to each frontend, teams can work autonomously on their own solution. This allows them to use the technologies and methodologies most suited to their case, speeding up development and reducing dependencies between teams.
3. Reduction of complexity
Encapsulating variations in BFFs simplifies the core services layer, making the system more manageable and modular. Underlying services do not need to worry about differences between frontends, as this new zealand telegram data is resolved in the BFF layer.
When to avoid Backends for Frontends (BFF)
While BFFs are useful in many scenarios, they are not always the best option. Some instances where they might not be suitable include:
When frontends are similar: If different frontends share a lot of logic or functionality, BFFs can introduce redundancy, make code reuse difficult, and increase maintenance effort.
When there are no clear teams for each frontend: The lack of defined ownership over the backends can lead to disorganization in the management and development of the BFFs, causing more problems than solutions.
Evolution of Backends for Frontends (BFF)
As a system grows, BFFs can evolve to solve challenges and optimize its performance:
Merge BFFs: When dedicated backends start to share too much functionality, it can make sense to consolidate them into a single orchestrator that handles common needs.
Add a shared integration layer: An intermediate layer that offers common APIs can relieve BFFs from managing shared logic, simplifying their structure and maintenance.
Using Sidecars: In a service mesh, sidecars can provide shared libraries that reduce redundancy between BFFs, improving consistency and modularity.
Conclusion
Backends for Frontends are a powerful tool for managing frontend-specific variations in complex systems. However, their implementation must balance flexibility, performance, and code reuse to avoid redundancy and maintenance issues. When applied correctly, BFFs facilitate the creation of more modular, adaptive, and effective systems, improving both the user experience and the productivity of development teams.