Why we built authentik Outposts as microservices

authentik is an open source Identity Provider that unifies identity needs into a single platform, replacing Okta, Active Directory, and auth0. The company behind authentik built Outposts as microservices to address specific technical challenges. Authentik itself is a monolith, but the Outposts allow it to implement authentication protocols outside of its main process for efficiency or other reasons. There are four types of Outposts: Proxy Provider, LDAP Provider, RADIUS Provider, and Remote Access Control Provider. These services offer flexibility and can be run wherever needed, allowing customers to split access requirements and improve performance by allocating dedicated resources to specific endpoints. Microservices make sense in cases where there is a genuine technical challenge or when teams need to work on independent problems, but they can create unnecessary complexity if not applied thoughtfully. The company encourages considering whether introducing microservices addresses a pressing need before adding more complexity.