Strategy

The Convergence that Changes Everything: Data Gravity + Containers + Microservices

High Scalability

Mar 25, 2015 — 1 min read

What will change everything this time?

Data Gravity (move compute to data) +
Containers (lightweight computation) +
Microservices (composable compute modules)

That’s according to John Willis and Damon Edwards on a highly recommended recent DevOps Cafe Episode.

The high concept goes something like:

Containers are the killer app for microservices.

Data Gravity is the killer app for containers.

The logic goes something like:

Data Gravity: Data is growing exponentially. Moving large chunks of data around doesn’t make sense anymore. You need to move compute to data. How?

Containers: Containers can start modules in milliseconds, so they can perform their function in seconds, and then tear down quickly. Hundreds, even thousands of containers can easily be started. What's inside a container?

Microservices: Microservices are small composable compute modules that can be glued together on the fly. Microservices are completely mobile. They can gravitate to wherever the data is. Containers make this happen.

A deep point is made that for this model to work you need to retool your organization. Your people need to be empowered to think in this new way. Organizations that can make this approach work will lap other more backwards organizations that are stuck in their siloed/monolithic/command and control worlds.

It all fits together nicely. What do you think? Is this the future? Or just one possible future?

Adrian Cockcroft on Microservices and DevOps

Keynote: Microservices by Martin Fowler

Dave McCrory on Data Gravity

Containers: What’s New, What Isn’t, What Matters?

[Google] Containers At Scale by Joe Beda

Google: 'EVERYTHING at Google runs in a container' - Ad giant lifts curtain on how it uses virtualization's successor TWO BILLION TIMES A WEEK

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