Migrating to Cloud-Native Architectures Using Microservices: An Experience Report (1507.08217v1)

Abstract: Migration to the cloud has been a popular topic in industry and academia in recent years. Despite many benefits that the cloud presents, such as high availability and scalability, most of the on-premise application architectures are not ready to fully exploit the benefits of this environment, and adapting them to this environment is a non-trivial task. Microservices have appeared recently as novel architectural styles that are native to the cloud. These cloud-native architectures can facilitate migrating on-premise architectures to fully benefit from the cloud environments because non-functional attributes, like scalability, are inherent in this style. The existing approaches on cloud migration does not mostly consider cloud-native architectures as their first-class citizens. As a result, the final product may not meet its primary drivers for migration. In this paper, we intend to report our experience and lessons learned in an ongoing project on migrating a monolithic on-premise software architecture to microservices. We concluded that microservices is not a one-fit-all solution as it introduces new complexities to the system, and many factors, such as distribution complexities, should be considered before adopting this style. However, if adopted in a context that needs high flexibility in terms of scalability and availability, it can deliver its promised benefits.

• The paper presents a detailed account of migrating from a monolithic system to a microservices-based cloud-native architecture.
• It outlines the integration of CI/CD pipelines, Docker containerization, and components like service discovery and load balancing.
• The report highlights practical challenges, emphasizing the need for skilled developers and robust service contracts in distributed systems.

A Critical Evaluation of Migrating to Cloud-Native Architectures Using Microservices

The paper "Migrating to Cloud-Native Architectures Using Microservices: An Experience Report" by Armin Balalaie, Abbas Heydarnoori, and Pooyan Jamshidi presents an in-depth exploration of the complexities and advantages associated with transitioning a monolithic on-premise system to a microservices-based cloud-native architecture. The authors articulate a comprehensive account of their experiences and challenges faced during the migration of the SSaaS (Server Side as a Service) application at PegahTech Co., thereby providing valuable insights into practical implementations of microservices in cloud migration.

The paper elucidates the motivations driving the transition, emphasizing the deficiencies of monolithic architectures in terms of scalability, maintainability, and deployment complexity. The need for reusability, decentralized data governance, and automated deployment are pivotal motivations for this migration. The monolithic architecture's inherent limitations in managing increased system size and handling dynamic scalability requirements led to the adoption of microservices, which inherently support these non-functional attributes.

The authors describe the step-by-step transformation, detailing technical implementations such as integrating Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) pipelines, utilizing Docker for containerization, and employing microservices-specific components like service discovery and load balancing. They underscore the importance of agile deployment processes and software development life cycle automation in facilitating the transition to a cloud-native infrastructure.

Quantitative metrics are less highlighted; instead, the paper focuses on architectural and procedural changes. The inclusion of specific components, such as the Configuration Server, Service Discovery, Load Balancer, and Circuit Breaker, is discussed extensively, illustrating the architectural evolution towards increased resilience and scalability. These elements collectively contribute to realizing the full potential of microservices in a cloud environment.

The migration, executed incrementally, involved substantial re-architecting, reflecting a strategic approach consistent with best practices in domain-driven design and bounded contexts. The authors redefined system components based on domain entities, emphasized decentralized governance of services, and introduced new supporting components to address resource management and service discovery issues effectively.

An important takeaway from the paper is the articulation of challenges and practical lessons learned. The paper highlights key observations such as the necessity for skilled developers in distributed systems development, the importance of stable service contracts, and the need for standard service development templates to manage complexities inherent in microservices. Furthermore, it underscores the realities of adopting microservices, cautioning that microservices are not a one-size-fits-all solution. This conservative stance reflects an understanding of system-specific requirements and the need for careful considerations before embracing architectural shifts.

In terms of broader implications, the transition highlights critical aspects of cloud migration, particularly the role of microservices in establishing scalable and agile architectural frameworks. The paper serves as a guide for practitioners aiming to modernize legacy systems, emphasizing that while microservices offer flexibility and scalability, they require sophisticated handling to manage the complexities of distributed computing.

Looking to the future, the authors propose developing reusable migration patterns to aid in systematic transitions to microservices, indicating an ongoing pursuit of structured methodologies that can benefit other organizations navigating similar migrations.

In conclusion, the paper provides a robust and practical account of transitioning to microservices, offering detailed insights and reflective commentary on the nuanced challenges of cloud-native transformations. This report holds substantial value for researchers and practitioners interested in the intricate dynamics of software architecture modernization, emphasizing the balanced application of theoretical concepts in practical scenarios.