LAS VEGAS \u2014 Using independent, autonomous, modular, self-contained applications \u2013 collectively known as micro services — can revolutionize the digital supply chain, and offer several advantages over monolithic services, according to Steven Sabonjohn, senior manager at consulting and technology innovation firm OnPrem Solution Partners.<\/p>\n
Combined with the elasticity of the cloud, micro services can not only scale to meet demands dynamically, but can provide integration to shared services on a component level, using simple methods and independent data stores to promote reuse, he told the Content Delivery and Security Association (CDSA) Cybersecurity and Content Protection Pavilion April 26, during the NAB Show.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the past couple of years, we know our workflows have become fully software-defined,\u201d he said while kicking off a session called \u201cEvolving the Digital Supply Chain from Monolithic to Micro Services.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cAs we\u2019re relying more and more on software, we\u2019re starting to encounter the same challenges that the software development community has been facing for years, such as agility and flexibility in deploying our systems. Because of this, we need to look at some of the patterns and trends that the development community has developed to address these problems in addressing our own.\u201d This has become even more important now because \u201cthe cloud is becoming a key component in how we receive, process, and distribute our content,\u201d he told attendees.<\/p>\n
He went on to point out: \u201cMoving to the cloud is not easy. It\u2019s very difficult to forklift our current systems with all their complex interdependencies into the cloud. They need to be rearchitected to take advantage of the advantages the cloud can offer, and micro services can help with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the challenges that are inherent in the existing architectural systems used by companies today include the fact that any application service change \u2013 \u201ceven a small one \u2013 often requires the entire tier to be redeployed and retested\u201d because all the different modules are bound together and coupled, and \u201cany failure in one of them can actually affect the entire stack,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cScaling with monolithic systems is also very challenging\u201d and \u201cinefficient\u201d because \u201csome of the services that don\u2019t need to be replicated or scaled are scaled along with the main monolith,\u201d he said. Because they\u2019re so \u201ctightly coupled,\u201d it\u2019s also \u201chard to reuse subcomponents of a different application in another one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, because of the modular design of micro services, one can work on one micro service within an organization and it will have no impact on other micro services in the environment, he explained.<\/p>\n
Using Software as a Service (SaaS) services alone \u201ccan actually help a lot, but it has to be done right,\u201d he noted. For one thing, SaaS partners are \u201csometimes integrated very similar to monoliths, and we face the potential of getting locked into a vendor just as we\u2019re locked into our monolithic applications,\u201d he said. Also, as SaaS vendors grow and change, those using them are \u201cgoverned by their changing capabilities,\u201d he said. \u201cDuplicated content is a huge problem\u201d as well, he said, adding that an especially \u201cchallenging and complicated use case is storing lower-quality renditions and output files throughout the environment,\u201d over and over again.<\/p>\n
Integrating with SaaS services, however, is \u201cwhere micro services become incredibly powerful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But he conceded there are several challenges in moving from the industry\u2019s monolithic systems to micro services.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome services don\u2019t actually natively fit well into a micro service environment, and it takes time. Some will work better as hybrids,\u201d he pointed out. It\u2019s also \u201cvery complicated,\u201d he said, explaining: \u201cLarge systems can cause information gaps across the team and you have to be willing to manage and distribute its system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also, organizational change tends to be difficult for a company, he noted, explaining: \u201cA prerequisite to moving to a micro service-based architecture is having a mature constant delivery\/constant integration structure in place in your organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
A company moving to a micro service must also invest in \u201cbecoming a technology company in addition to being a media company,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cMicro service architectures are not a set it-forget it kind of architecture like a monolith would be. The [micro service] system constantly evolves and changes and you need to be willing to invest in it and have it grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are also \u201ccost tradeoffs\u201d to take into account because monolith systems tend to be lower-cost initially. But micro services typically yield lower long-term maintenance costs that make investments in them worthwhile for many companies, he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, also at the Cybersecurity Pavilion, Ted Middleton, chief product officer for Verizon Digital Media Services, said in a separate presentation that his company has learned that there\u2019s a balance between using the cloud to enhance speed and innovation, while still keeping content secure.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of our services are either cloud services, or edge-deployed services, and being a CDN means ensuring content owners can securely deliver content,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to physically DRM, or token authenticate, or geo-restrict your content, but we\u2019re also protecting the applications that sit behind our infrastructure, with firewalls and DDoS protection, some of those horizontal security services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew Trentler, senior manager of information security for Dolby, said that incorporating cloud technology has helped Dolby gain a greater understanding of its business operations, and discover more services available. The key is working with engineers to make sure the cloud is used in a careful way.<\/p>\n
\u201cEngineers are smart, and they\u2019re going [to the cloud] regardless, and we want to partner with them, ensure they\u2019re going there in a secure manner,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAS VEGAS \u2014 Using independent, autonomous, modular, self-contained applications \u2013 collectively known as micro services — can revolutionize the digital supply chain, and offer several advantages over monolithic services, according … Continue reading NAB 2017: OnPrem\u2019s Sabonjohn Highlights Advantages of Shifting to Micro Services<\/span>