Q&A
From Core to Containers to Orchestration: Modernizing Your Azure Compute
The cloud changed IT forever. And then containers changed the cloud. And then Kubernetes changed containers. And then microservices usurped monoliths, and so it goes in the cloudscape.
Microsoft's Azure cloud has changed along with industry trends, notably moving beyond its Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) roots to provide more and more services of many different kinds to users, such as compute. But picking and choosing among alternatives is always a balancing act of different factors, requiring users to work hard to keep abreast of new developments and options.
[Click on image for larger view.] Microservices Architecture on Azure Service Fabric (source: Microsoft).
"Depending on your hosting model and how you do DevOps, requirements for scalability and availability, you have tradeoffs that affect your long-term costs and decision," says Mike Benkovich, a cloud architect and Microsoft MVP who knows this stuff inside out due to his multiple talents as a developer, business owner, consultant and online instructor.
"As the cloud advances, we need to understand the tradeoffs between compute options and make smart decisions on what makes the most sense to ensure you can get where you're going," Benkovich says.
[Click on image for larger view.] Flowchart to Select a Candidate Compute Service (source: Microsoft).
He's going to share his hard-earned knowledge in an Azure-focused session at the big, multi-event Live! 360 developer/IT conference coming to Orlando in November, featuring six different shows including Visual Studio Live!, Artificial Intelligence Live! and Cloud & Containers Live!
It's the latter co-located conference at which Benkovich will helm his session, titled "From Core to Containers to Orchestration - Modernizing my Compute," an advanced-level, 75-minute session in which attendees are promised to learn:
- How to build and debug microservices with .NET
- How to manage containerization
- What options you have for running compute in Azure
"In this session we look at how containerization has altered the landscape and to go from a monolith mindset to microservices requires more than wishful thinking or a management edict," Benkovich said. "As the cloud advances, we need to understand the tradeoffs between compute options and make smart decisions on what makes the most sense to ensure you can get where you're going."
We caught up with Benkovich to learn more about the topic and his session in a short Q&A.
VisualStudioMagazine: What inspired you to present a session on this topic?
Benkovich: I've seen firsthand how developers and architects often struggle with the transition from traditional monolithic applications to microservices. With the rise of containerization and orchestration technologies like Kubernetes, the landscape has shifted significantly.
"I wanted to help demystify this shift and share insights on making informed decisions around compute options, especially as they continue to evolve on platforms like Azure."
Mike Benkovich, Developer, Business Owner, Consultant, Cloud Architect, Microsoft Azure MVP and Online Instructor
I wanted to help demystify this shift and share insights on making informed decisions around compute options, especially as they continue to evolve on platforms like Azure.
What are the key factors driving the shift from monolithic architectures to microservices in modern computing environments?
I think that the key drivers include the need for scalability, flexibility, and faster deployment cycles. Microservices promise to enable independent scaling and deployment of services, allowing for better fault isolation, more efficient resource usage, and the ability to adopt a continuous delivery model. Additionally, the rise of cloud-native technologies and container orchestration has facilitated this shift by offering the necessary tooling and infrastructure.
Can you elaborate on the main challenges developers face when transitioning to microservices?
The transition to microservices can introduce challenges like increased complexity in service communication, data consistency, monitoring, and debugging. Developers must deal with distributed systems, manage state across services, and ensure resilience in the face of failures. The learning curve can be steep, especially in managing containerization and orchestration.
How does the evolution of Azure's compute services impact decision-making for cloud architects?
Azure's compute services have grown from simple PaaS offerings to a broad array of options, including VMs, App Services, Kubernetes, and serverless functions. For cloud architects, this evolution means understanding the tradeoffs between flexibility, scalability, management overhead, and cost. How to choose? Azure's wide range of options requires cloud architects to make strategic decisions based on application requirements, performance needs, and operational efficiency.
What is just one best practice for debugging microservices using .NET?
One best practice is to implement distributed tracing early on. This allows you to track requests across service boundaries, identify bottlenecks, and monitor for failures within your .NET microservices. Using tools like Azure Monitor with Application Insights can provide visibility into the entire microservice architecture and help troubleshoot issues more effectively.
Can you provide an overview of how Azure's compute options have evolved since its inception as a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)?
Initially, Azure focused heavily on PaaS with Cloud Services, where developers could deploy applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. Worker roles, web roles, and cloud services were fairly rigid in their design. Over time, Azure expanded to include Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), allowing for more control with VMs. Today, the evolution includes options like Kubernetes (AKS), serverless computing (Azure Functions), and Azure Container Instances, catering to various workloads that need different levels of control, scalability, and abstraction.
How can attendees keep abreast of changes in this space, and how should they prepare for your session?
Events like Live!360 and the learning docs. To stay updated, attendees should regularly engage with Azure's official documentation, blogs, and community-driven resources like user groups. Keeping up with the latest announcements from Microsoft events like Ignite, Build, and smaller meetups is crucial. For preparation, I recommend reviewing current compute trends, getting familiar with containerization concepts, and revisiting the core principles of microservices architecture in .NET.
Note: Some of those learning docs include:
Note: Those wishing to attend the conference can save hundreds of dollars by registering early, according to the event's pricing page. "Save $400 when you register by the Super Early Bird deadline of Sept. 27!" said the organizer of the event, which is presented by the parent company of Visual Studio Magazine.
About the Author
David Ramel is an editor and writer at Converge 360.