Microservices Architecture All MIS603

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MODULE 6 TOPIC 1 RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIESMODULE 6 TOPIC 1 RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES

Platforms for Building Microservices

Introduction:

As can be seen from the introduction, a wave of cloud computing services was one of

the key drivers to adopt a cloud native approach through microservices architecture.

This allows developers to make use of a variety of platforms under public, private and

hybrid cloud conditions on which to develop their microservices. As the philosophy

has grown, so have the range of platform service o�erings to support software

engineers, developers and microservices architects. However, in this module we will

be looking at some of the leading platforms that applications can be migrated to in a

move to the cloud.

Many of the leading cloud providers o�er an ecosystem of compatible o�erings in

di�erent functional areas to support a microservices architecture supporting

containerization, container orchestration, communications, diagnostics and

monitoring etc. However, as Ke (2019) has indicated –in selecting from a medley of

services, the microservices architect should consider several factors in selecting the

most appropriate solution for their needs. There are many bene�ts and drawbacks to

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be considered when selecting a proprietary tool to meet the needs of the

organisation, the microservices being built and the management of communications

integration.

The aim of this section is to o�er you insights into the major players who supply cloud

services that can be considered by microservices architects as solutions to meet their

infrastructure and platform requirements. Note also that this list cannot be

exhaustive, there are many di�erent providers o�ering platforms that play a role in

supporting a microservices architecture. The intention to give you insights into the

o�erings of the major players in the �eld so that you have some frame of reference

and can see some of the key di�erences between them.

Resources and Activities:

Current Major Cloud Providers

Please watch the following video from Choosing cloud platform for

developers: AWS, AZure and GCP series:

2.Baseline functionality available in the cloud: Current major cloud providers (2m 55s)

Please watch this short video clip. Ke identi�es the six dominant cloud

solution providers and shows how di�erent components of a solution may

be selected from di�erent providers depending on requirements. Note the

Platform as a Service o�erings for developers which can simplify

infrastructure decisions.

Reference:

Ke, Xian, (2019, June 26). Baseline functionality available in the cloud: Major

Cloud Providers [Video �le]. Retrieved from

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/choosing-a-cloud-platform-for-

developers-aws-azure-and-gcp/current-major-cloud-providers?u=56744473

(https://www.linkedin.com/learning/choosing-a-cloud-platform-for-

developers-aws-azure-and-gcp/current-major-cloud-providers?u=56744473)

Amazon Web Services

Please watch the following video from Choosing cloud platform for

developers: AWS, AZure and GCP series:

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3.Historical strengths of three major cloud providers: Amazon web services (3m 11s)

Please watch this short video clip. As an early pioneer Amazon Web Services

has a lead in market share over other providers. Please note the section

which discusses Amazon Lambda and the perception that it is synonymous

with microservices and why this is not necessarily the case. Note Ke’s advice

to establish whether a solution from within the ecosystem will o�er you

bene�t in the context of your business use cases.

Reference:

Ke, Xian, (2019, June 26). Historical strengths of three major cloud

providers: Amazon Web Services [Video �le]. Retrieved from

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/choosing-a-cloud-platform-for-

developers-aws-azure-and-gcp/amazon-web-services?u=56744473

(https://www.linkedin.com/learning/choosing-a-cloud-platform-for-

developers-aws-azure-and-gcp/amazon-web-services?u=56744473)

Google Cloud Platform

Please watch the following video from Choosing cloud platform for

developers: AWS, AZure and GCP series:

3.Historical strengths of three major cloud providers: Google cloud platform (3m 13s)

Please watch this short video clip. Note how Google Cloud Platform is

identi�ed as having greater simplicity than competitor products and a

simpler Platform as a Service o�ering seen as being a ‘serverless’ platform.

Reference:

Ke, Xian, (2019, June 26). Historical strengths of three major cloud

providers: Google Cloud Platform [Video �le]. Retrieved from

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/choosing-a-cloud-platform-for-

developers-aws-azure-and-gcp/google-cloud-platform?u=56744473

(https://www.linkedin.com/learning/choosing-a-cloud-platform-for-

developers-aws-azure-and-gcp/google-cloud-platform?u=56744473)

Microsoft Azure

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Please watch the following video from Choosing cloud platform for

developers: AWS, AZure and GCP series:

3.Historical strengths of three major cloud providers: Microsoft Azure (2 m 34s)

Please watch this short video clip. Note how Ke references the broad

Microsoft ecosystem, which is recognisable to businesses familiar with

Microsoft systems, and how Azure compared to the other cloud providers

can meet similar functionality needs. Another advantage identi�ed with

Azure is ease of combination with on-premise solutions to provide a hybrid

cloud solution.

Reference:

Ke, Xian, (2019, June 26). Historical strengths of three major cloud

providers: Microsoft Azure [Video �le]. Retrieved from

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/choosing-a-cloud-platform-for-

developers-aws-azure-and-gcp/microsoft-azure?u=56744473

(https://www.linkedin.com/learning/choosing-a-cloud-platform-for-

developers-aws-azure-and-gcp/microsoft-azure?u=56744473)

Alibaba Cloud overview

Please watch the following video from the Learning Alibaba cloud series:

1.Alibaba cloud account: Alibaba cloud overview (3m 33s)

Please watch this short video clip. Note the various service categories that

Alibaba Cloud o�ers developers to build services – it is comprehensive with

areas of strength. Notably, as Alibaba is a company of Chinese origin, there

is a clustering of usage that predominates in the Asia Paci�c region.

Reference:

Langit, L. (2020, April 6). Alibaba cloud account: Alibaba Cloud Overview

[Video �le]. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/learning/learning-

alibaba-cloud/alibaba-cloud-overview?u=56744473

(https://www.linkedin.com/learning/learning-alibaba-cloud/alibaba-cloud-

overview?u=56744473)

Oracle’s Approach to Offering a Microservices-Friendly Cloud Platform

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Please read this short article. While Oracle has always been a strong

industry player, they are a more recent adopter in becoming a supplier of

serverless o�erings for those seeking an environment to host their

microservices architecture. Note the diagram which lays out the di�erent

services and functionality that Oracle o�ers to microservices architects.

Reference:

Currie, T. (2018, January 4). Oracle’s Approach to O�ering a Microservices-

Friendly Cloud Platform [Blog post]. Retrieved from

https://thenewstack.io/oracles-approach-o�ering-microservices-friendly-

cloud-platform/ (https://thenewstack.io/oracles-approach-o�ering-

microservices-friendly-cloud-platform/)

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.

Top cloud providers in 2020: AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, hybrid, SaaS players

Dignan’s article o�ers insights in the current leading cloud providers in

2020 in a maturing cloud computing market. Note his reference to

multicloud and how each provider o�ers capability strengths.

Reference:

Dignan, L. (2020, February 6). Top cloud providers in 2020: AWS, Microsoft

Azure, and Google Cloud, hybrid, SaaS players. ZDNet. Retrieved from

https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-top-cloud-providers-of-2020-aws-

microsoft-azure-google-cloud-hybrid-saas/

(https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-top-cloud-providers-of-2020-aws-

microsoft-azure-google-cloud-hybrid-saas/)

Learning Activity 1: Alibaba in Asia Paci�c Region Discussion Forum

Post

Collaborative learning activity: Three major cloud providers

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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.

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.