macrodancer

A macrodancer is a conceptual term used in certain fields, particularly in discussions related to microservices and software architecture. It describes a large, monolithic application that, despite being built as a single unit, exhibits characteristics or is managed in a way that resembles a collection of smaller, independent services. This is often an unintended consequence of development practices or a transitional state as a system evolves.

The term "macrodancer" implies that the monolithic application, while appearing as one entity, can still be manipulated or scaled in parts, much like a dancer might move different limbs independently. This could manifest as the ability to deploy or update specific modules within the monolith without affecting the entire application, or perhaps through internal optimizations that allow different functionalities to operate with varying resource needs.

It's important to distinguish a macrodancer from a true microservices architecture, where services are explicitly designed and deployed as independent units with well-defined boundaries. A macrodancer often represents a system that has outgrown its initial monolithic design but has not yet been refactored into a more granular microservices approach. The term can be used both descriptively and sometimes critically, highlighting the hybrid nature of such systems and the potential challenges they present in terms of maintenance, scalability, and agility.