603 ASSG 1 MICRO SERVICES

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MODULE 1 TOPIC 2 RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIESMODULE 1 TOPIC 2 RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES

Principles and key concepts of microservices

Introduction:

British software development specialists Martin Fowler and James Lewis describe

microservices architecture as:

“In short, the microservice architectural style is an approach to developing a single

application as a suite of small services, each running in its own process and

communicating with lightweight mechanisms, often an HTTP resource API. These

services are built around business capabilities and independently deployable by fully

automated deployment machinery. There is a bare minimum of centralized

management of these services, which may be written in di�erent programming

languages and use di�erent data storage technologies.” (Fowler,2014)

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It is fair to note that microservices architecture is a developing �eld, and in some ways

might be considered more of a philosophy for software engineering than a fully

de�ned and developed methodology now. However, there is consensus on the

characteristics of applications built using microservices architecture principles:

1. Size – they are smaller than service-oriented architecture and much smaller than monoliths

2. Communications – they rely on messaging to call information from other microservices

3. Context – is bounded, most often by de�ned functionality of the microservices

4. Autonomous – the are developed to meet a speci�c purpose sharing as little as possible with other services

5. Deployment – does not rely on any other service and is therefore independent

Microservices architecture evolved through the pursuit of software engineering that

allowed speed of change, safety of change – at scale – and in harmony.

There is a clear value proposition:

1. Teams do not depend on each other for delivery and can develop and ship code faster by being freed from interdependencies

2. As teams are not independent, various services can be developed in parallel

3. Without interdependencies, the tech stack of technologies, languages and frameworks can di�er from one service to another and can be selected on best suitability for the service in question rather than seeking a middle ground uni�ed approach

4. Because it is easy to simply replace an independent service, code can become ‘disposable’ – what doesn’t work can be easily replaced

In this module we will work through some of the fundamental philosophies, concepts

and principles of microservices architecture before we progress into developing our

deeper understanding of how microservices has changed many di�erent facets of

software engineering.

References

Fowler, M. (2014, March 25). Microservices – A de�nition of this new architectural term.

Retrieved from https://martinfowler.com/articles/microservices.html

Resources and Activities:

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The concepts behind microservices

Please watch the following video from the DevOps foundations:

Microservices series:

1.Microservices in production: The concepts behind microservices (3m 6s)

In this short video clip, you are introduced to the key concepts of

microservices. Note how microservices can be very broad and diverse and

so not easily de�ned. Note how the presenter illustrates that services

should be organised around a real-world domain and enforced by bounded

contexts. Note how teams developing are not split according to function

but rather by business capability with the various skill sets blended into a

team.

Reference:

Stone, L. (2019, February 27). Microservices in production: The concepts

behind microservices. [Video File]. Retrieved from

https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/share?

forceAccount=false&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Flearning%

foundations-microservices%3Ftrk%3Dshare_ent_url&account=56744473

(https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/share?

forceAccount=false&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Flearning%

foundations-microservices%3Ftrk%3Dshare_ent_url&account=56744473)

Microservices

Please watch the following video from the Cloud architecture: Advanced

concepts series:

1.Advanced architecture patterns: Microservices (5m 40s)

In this short video clip, you are introduced to how microservices is a new

way to de�ne services. It has an interesting section where the facilitator

discusses how microservices are a decomposition of prior services that are

of a more coarse-grained nature in the interests of creating services that

are more useable. Pay particular attention to the de�nition of how di�erent

architectures in�uence how autonomous and independent services may be

from one another and the bene�ts this creates. Note how he discusses how

many, even thousands, or microservices may exist to do the job of what a

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monolithic application would have done in the past. From the 3:00 minute

mark of the video, Linthicum shares a diagram that illustrates how

decomposition of monolithic and service-oriented architected systems

leads to �ner grained services. This creates discrete and independent

services.

Reference:

Linthicum, D. (2019, January 23). Advanced architecture patterns:

Microservices. [Video File]. Retrieved from

https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/share?

forceAccount=false&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Flearning%

architecture-advanced-concepts-

2%3Ftrk%3Dshare_ent_url&account=56744473

(https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/share?

forceAccount=false&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Flearning%

architecture-advanced-concepts-

2%3Ftrk%3Dshare_ent_url&account=56744473)

Microservices

Please read pp. 1 – 8. This will give you a clear idea of what the philosophy

of microservices architecture is and its de�ning characteristics. Please pay

particular attention to the primary characteristics: Small and autonomous.

Understanding these de�ning characteristics is pivotal to your further

understanding of this philosophy. Thereafter take careful note of the 7

bene�ts that a microservices architecture philosophy o�ers software

engineers.

Reference:

Newman, S. (2015). Building microservices: Designing �ne-grained systems.

California, USA: O’Reilly Media. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-

proquest-com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?

docID=1938300&ppg=21 (https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?

docID=1938300&ppg=21)

The Microservices Way

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Please read pp. 4 – 11. Pay close attention to the three concepts that are

outlined as de�nitive to microservices architecture as a style. From page 6

the authors ask and answer a series of questions about what sets

microservices architecture apart from service-oriented architecture and the

key characteristics. They de�ne this as ‘The Microservices Way’ and avoid

deep diving into the technologies used, while rather speaking to the

philosophy. While Newman et al. have focussed on ‘small and autonomous’

Nadareishvili et al. focus on speed, safety and harmony. It is important to

note that as this is a philosophy, these ideologies do not con�ict with each

other, but rather extend philosophical understanding.

Reference:

Nadareishvili, I., Mitra, R., McLarty, M., & Amundsen, M. (2016). Microservice

architecture: Aligning principles, practices, and culture. California, USA:

O’Reilly. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?

docID=4602504&ppg=19 (https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?

docID=4602504&ppg=19)

The Microservices Value Proposition

Please read pp. 13 - 16. Nadareishvili et al. Lay out bene�ts of microservices

architecture – these are like those laid out by Newman (2015) but do have

some subtle di�erences while remaining largely philosophically aligned.

Please pay attention to the businesses that they use as examples because it

o�ers you a contextual understanding of which businesses are at the

forefront of the microservices vanguard and how it allows their business to

bene�t. Pay speci�c attention to the 6 ways in which speed contributes to

business value – this will be important for your assignment.

Reference:

Nadareishvili, I., Mitra, R., McLarty, M., & Amundsen, M. (2016). Microservice

architecture: Aligning principles, practices, and culture. California, USA:

O’Reilly. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?

docID=4602504&ppg=29 (https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.ezproxy.laureate.net.au/lib/think/reader.action?

docID=4602504&ppg=29)

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Additional Learning Resources

If you would like to learn more about the topics covered in this module, here are

some additional resources. These resources will contribute to further develop

understanding of the topics covered. However, these resources are not essential

to complete this module or the assessments associated with this subject.

To be a microservice: How smaller parts of bigger applications could remake IT

This resource o�ers you insights int the main ideas that are driving

microservices and the value they can create. It is an ‘easy-read’ trade-based

article to o�er you a nutshell view of how the industry is viewing

microservices architecture as a potential solution to o�er more responsive

systems development in a rapidly changing world.

Reference:

Fulton, S. (2018, September 7). To be a microservice: How smaller parts of

bigger applications could remake IT. ZDNet. Retrieved from

https://www.zdnet.com/article/to-be-a-microservice-how-smaller-parts-of-

bigger-applications-could-remake-it/ (https://www.zdnet.com/article/to-be-

a-microservice-how-smaller-parts-of-bigger-applications-could-remake-it/)

Learning Activity 1: Interactive Knowledge check

Learning Activity 2: Characteristics of Microservices architecture -

Discussion forum post

Collaborative learning activity - Bene�ts of monolithic and

microservices architecture

Note: The Learning activities above are not part of summative/graded assessment;

however they are designed to prepare you for incremental graded assessment and

expand your learning.

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These activities encourage a community learning experience between peers, and

provide opportunities for facilitators to o�er formative feedback, throughout a

module, to the student cohort.