Microservices and storage Nothing works without the right storage environment
Like other innovative architectures, microservices also bring challenges. After all, the infrastructure required for this is significantly different from more traditional, monolithic layouts. Therefore, many companies are testing new approaches to data storage.
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Containers offer advantages and consume little storage. But there are some things that have to be considered.
Microservices have become popular since the outbreak of Covid-19 because they provide a fast and flexible way to create applications. Simply put, they allow you to break a large application into small, independent services, thereby reducing development time and reducing costs.
The optimal storage environment for microservices
Most companies run microservices in containers, although they can also run on virtual servers. The preference for containers comes from a number of advantages. Among other things, applications running in them can be easily and simply deployed in any environment. In addition, containers allow developers to work without the support of the rest of the IT department.
Containers offer companies enormous flexibility because they can be activated quickly, consume very little computing power and storage space and enable mobility between different environments. However, in order to maximize the potential of containers in the enterprise and use their advantages, it is necessary to take into account a number of critical points in the storage environment:
Performance and Reliability
The transition to microservices running in containers and the great flexibility this approach provides can result in a very large number of containers needing access to storage. A company that has a storage solution that is not designed for it can suffer from heavy load, bottlenecks, and slow response times. Therefore, containers need storage solutions that intelligently optimize the use of storage media and offer exceptionally high performance and reliability.
Data backup and recovery
Although containers themselves provide redundancies at the infrastructure level, the management and backup of the data they generate must be taken into account. Many backup systems are based on deduplication and only write a small part of the company data to the backup copy every day. Therefore, data recovery is slow for most systems and very difficult for large amounts of data, which, as already mentioned, continue to increase with the proliferation of containers. Advanced and AI-based backup solutions intelligently enable fast data recovery thanks to predictive features and provide solutions for strict SLA requirements, even in data-intensive environments with a large number of containers.
Easy to use
A storage solution must offer comprehensive automation functions that provide developers with the necessary independence in assigning, using and deleting environments, as well as easy data access and data exchange between containers. Traditional storage solutions are often built layer by layer, and the API does not fully support integration, which requires special development, which does not always provide a solution and is far from simple. Easy data access and container integration are crucial to reap the benefits of containers, and this aspect should also be considered when choosing a suitable storage solution for integrated container environments.
Cost
A storage solution that provides full integration with containers must also be affordable, which is reflected both in the cost of the solution itself and in the ability to provide on-demand storage space and reduce operating costs. An optimal storage solution offers complete automation and saves the IT team time and energy.
Conclusion
In summary, the importance of microservices for companies will continue to increase. They are an innovative solution that provides the company with agility and efficiency in the development of technological solutions while reducing risks. But they also require a suitable data storage infrastructure with which they can be used optimally. When a company is ready to move to microservices, it is important that they choose a storage solution that combines performance, data backup and recovery capabilities with ease of use and flexibility.
*author: Guy Kariv, CTO EMEA and APJ at Infinidat
