Role of Docker in Microservice Architecture

Docker containers and microservices have become synonymous with cloud computing. These phrases appear in every discussion about the cloud, and proponents of microservices often present them as a cure for massive monolithic problems. It's also a way to keep pace with the majority of the new software being developed right now. There's also a lot of scepticism and caution, especially among businesses, about shifting these technologies totally to the cloud. In this article, you will learn about Docker and microservices and the role of docker in the microservice architecture.

What is Docker?

Docker is a program that allows you to package and run a program in a "loosely separated environment," also known as a container. Developers can run a variety of distinct containers at the same time, all on the same server, thanks to this layer of isolation and the greater security that comes with it.

In short, it's a technology that was created to make creating, deploying, and even running applications using containers easier than ever before.

To put it another way, containers allow a developer to "bundle" a program with all of the components it requires to run smoothly. This can contain but is not limited to, frameworks, other requirements, and other components, all of which are subsequently delivered as a single package to ensure greater ease of use.

The alternative is to design an entire operating system that supports the app in question, which takes a significant deal of time and effort and can severely delay the launch of an application. A Docker container, however, comes with only the bare minimum of operating systems needed for the application in question to operate effectively, freeing up programmers' time and resources to focus on the issues that genuinely deserve their attention.

What are Microservices?

To explain it as briefly as possible, the microservices architecture is one in which applications are built as a succession of significantly smaller, more controllable, and independently deployable services rather than the monolithic model of the past.

Rather than investing time and money in one large application that accomplishes ten things, you construct ten smaller applications. Each one is created independently of the others, allowing them to be tested and customized as needed. Therefore, all of those ten things "add up" to the same basic form as the larger one, although with a completely different structure at its center.

What are the Benefits of Microservices?

The advantage is that each service is not just smaller, but also dedicated to a single goal. It will be easier to build, manage, and deploy in the future as a result of this. Instead of waiting for all 10 functions to be completed, you may start deploying them to end-users as soon as they're available, allowing them to interact with the program as soon as feasible.

One of the most important advantages of microservices architecture is that it is much easier to manage both during and after construction. If only one of the services in question is down, you don't have to take the entire program down. Similarly, if one of the functions "breaks," you don't even have to stress about the application as a whole going down with it. You can concentrate on diagnosing those issues independently of one another, and just update what is required to keep the system running.

Furthermore, one of the most significant advantages of microservices is that each service is organized around certain business capabilities. For instance, you can conveniently reuse the same service in multiple business processes as needed. Simply from a DevOps standpoint, this always leads to teams who are not only sharper but also more cross-functional. However, this has the extra benefit of allowing you to provide a higher-quality finished product to end consumers faster than ever before, which may be the most crucial benefit of all.

What are The Challenges of Building a Microservice Architecture?

Microservices have a lot of power and possibilities, but they also have a lot of common concerns that need to be addressed in the design and managed on a regular basis:

Service Tracking

It can be difficult to keep track of services that are spread over numerous hosts. Collaborative microservices spread throughout your environment must be inventoried and immediately available, instead of a single point of contact for tweaking monolithic apps.

Rapid Resource Scaling

Each microservice needs considerably fewer resources than monolithic systems, but keep in mind that as your design scales, the number of microservices in production will rapidly increase. Without effective management, a large number of small hosts can demand as much as or more than a monolithic architecture in terms of computing power and storage.

Inefficient Minimal Resourcing

If you're working with Amazon Web Services, there is a limit on how many resources you may give to each task. Microservices may be quite small that they only use a fraction of an EC2 instance, leading to wasted resources and expenditures that surpass the microservice's real resource need.

Increased Deployment Complexity

Microservices are self-contained and can be written in a variety of computer languages. However, because each language has its own collection of libraries and frameworks, the various programming languages in use will necessitate an entirely new set of libraries and frameworks. This increases resource overhead (and expenses), as well as complicates deployment.

These challenges, however, are not insurmountable. This is where cutting-edge container technologies like Docker can help fill in the gaps.

What is The Role of Docker in Microservice Architecture?

Perhaps the most compelling reason to use Docker for microservices is the numerous advantages it provides in terms of Docker container monitoring. Docker was created to simplify the software delivery process by allowing developers to create, ship, debug, and even install apps in the most secure and automated way possible. It essentially allows you to take the obvious advantages of the microservices architecture and expand them as far as they can reach.

It is now feasible to design, build, and launch an application completely independent of the host environment thanks to Docker. You're in a stronger place to encapsulate every single one of them within easy-to-use Docker containers now that you're already employing the microservices design.

Docker container technology aids in addressing the most difficult difficulties of developing a microservice architecture in the following ways:

Task Isolation

For each microservice, build a Docker container. This eliminates resource bloat caused by overprovisioned cases idling under the nearly non-existent burden of a single service, and numerous containers can be operated per instance.

Support Multiple Coding Languages

To streamline and manage numerous platforms, divide all of the services required to operate a language, including modules and framework data, into linked containers.

Database Separation

Containers can be used to hold one or more data volumes, which can then be referenced by other microservices and containers.

The advantage of this technique of access is that it conceals the underlying data's location, turning the data container into a logical mount point. It also enables 'application' containers to construct and destruct data container levels while keeping the information durable in a separate container.

Automate Monitoring

Monitor specific container records with effective tools like Sumo Logic for logging and MI to gain important insights into data flow inside, saving your team time and improving the continuous delivery process.

Conclusion

The use of microservices and containers is regarded as the proper modern method for developing scalable and manageable web-based applications. If you don't containerize your microservices, you'll have a lot of trouble deploying and managing them. That is why, while deploying microservices, we use Docker to avoid problems. With the addition of a Container Orchestration System, you will be capable of handling your dockerized apps with no limitations.