# Distributed Monolith

> A defect in which services are deployed separately but still share data, transactions and release cycles.

Record: `architecture:distributed-monolith`
Kind: anti-pattern
Layer: [Enforcement Core](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/enforcement-core.md)
Severity: discouraged
Scope: modularity, contract_compatibility, state_transaction
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology#architecture-distributed-monolith

Listed in [Architecture principles](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/architecture.md), after [Unversioned Breaking Change](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/unversioned-breaking-change.md) and before [Shotgun Surgery](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/shotgun-surgery.md).

## Repair

- Refactored by: own_data_per_service, define_service_contracts, introduce_events, add_outbox, split_bounded_context, enable_independent_deployment
- Detected by: [shared_database](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/shared-database.md), cross_service_transactions, lockstep_deployments, deep_sync_call_chain, shared_business_logic_package, consumer_breakage_on_service_change
- Violated by: Split deployment units without splitting data ownership, transaction boundaries, failure isolation, contracts, or autonomous release capability.
- Measured by: shared databases, lockstep deployments, cross-service transactions
- Enforced by: service-ownership rules, contract tests, independent-deployment checks

## Severity

- [discouraged](https://banes-lab.com/records/vocabulary/severity-discouraged.md)

## Category

- [Anti-patterns](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture-category/anti-patterns.md)

## Force

- [Contract compatibility](https://banes-lab.com/records/force/contract-compatibility.md)
- [Modularity](https://banes-lab.com/records/force/modularity.md)
- [State transaction](https://banes-lab.com/records/force/state-transaction.md)

## Negated by

- [Microservices](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/microservices.md)

## Linked from

- [Anti-patterns](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-anti-patterns.md)
- [Codebase / System Architecture Styles](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-codebase-system-architecture-styles.md)
- [Severity levels](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-vocabulary-severity.md)
- [The forces](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-forces.md)