Microservices with Apache Karaf and

Apache CXF: practical experience

Andrei Shakirin, Talend

 Agenda
• Microservices and OSGi
• Core ideas of OSGi
• Apache Karaf
• Design and develop in OSGi: the history of one
project
• Conclusions and lessons learned
 About Me
• Software architect in Talend Team
• PMC in Apache CXF
• Contributions in Apache Syncope, Apache
Aries and Apache Karaf
 Microservices

(James Lewis and Martin Fowler)

• Application as suite of small services

• Organization around business capabilities
• Each service runs in own process
• Smart endpoints and dumb pipes
• Decentralized data management and
technologies
• Infrastructure automation
 Microservices: Pros and Cons

Benefits:
• Services themselves are simple, focusing on doing
one thing well
• Systems are loosely coupled
• Services and can be (relatively) independently
developed and deployed by different teams
• Services can be scaled differently
• Service team can use the most appropriate
technologies and programming languages
 Microservices: Pros and Cons

Downsides:
• Mistakes in services boundaries definition are costly
• Remote calls are expensive and unreliable
• Testing, debugging and monitoring in distributed system
became more difficult
• Change syntax or semantic of remote contracts
introduces additional risks
• Infrastructure becomes more complex
• Eventual consistency
OSGi => Modular Applications

What is the module?

OSGi: Modules and Modularity
OSGi: Modules and Modularity
 OSGi: software modules
• Implements a specific function
• Can be used alone or combined with others
• Provides functionality to be reused or replaced
• Has well defined name
• Has a version

jars modules
 OSGi: software modules
But:
• It is hard to achieve loosely coupling between the
modules (only partial solutions: Class.forName;
ServiceLoader; log-appenders)
• You cannot encapsulate functionality in the module
• Missing runtime control which version of the
dependencies functionality will be used
• Self-describing module contract is missing
• Keep the name and version of JAR file
• Add explicit package dependencies
OSGi bundle
(requirements)
• Add explicit package exports (capabilities)
• Provide API as external contract (OSGi services)
 OSGi Services

• Service Contract is one or more java interfaces

• Bundle can register the service in registry
• Other bundle can get and listen for the service
• Multiple registered services can be distinguished using properties
• No any coupling between bundles except Service Contract:
neither in code, no on the classpath (different to java
ServiceLoader)
 OSGi Decoupling
ActiveMQ Bundle MyAsyncCommunication Bundle

Exports: Imports:
org.apache.activemq.pool 5.14.0, org.apache.activemq.pool [5.14,6),
org.apache.activemq.command 5.14.0 org.apache.activemq.command [5.14,6)

Decoupling
JMS Communication
MyBusinessDomain Bundle Implementation

Imports: my.connector.async [1.0,2) Exports: my.connector.async

1.0.0
Import Service: Export Services
my.connector.async.Sender, Implementations:
my.connector.async.Listener my.connector.async.Sender,
my.connector.async.Listener
 OSGi Decoupling

Article API Bundle Article Logic Bundle

Exports: my.domain.article 1.1.0
(my.domain.article.Availability interface) Imports: my.domain.article
[1.0,2) Availabilit
yDAO
Bundle
Availabilty Logic
Implementation
MyCartService Bundle SAP
Connector
Imports: my.domain.article [1.0,2) Decoupling Bundle

Import Service: Export Service Implementation:

my.domain.article.Availability my.domain.article.Availability
 Declare OSGi Services: Option 1
• Declarative Services

Christian Schneider Blog: “Apache Karaf Tutorial part 10 - Declarative

services”
 Declare OSGi Services: Option 2

• Blueprint
 Classic Microservices vs OSGi
Aspect Microservices OSGi
Application structure Suite of small services Suite of bundles /
modules
Boundaries Around business Modularization around
capabilities business and technical
aspects
Communication Lightweight remote Flexible: local or remote
Contract Remote API Local java interfaces or
remote API
Decentralized Data Desired Depends on
Management requirements for single
process, desired for
multiple processes
Infrastructure Desired Desired
Automation
 Apache Karaf

• OSGi based Container using Apache Felix or Eclipse

Equinox implementations
• Runs as Container, Docker Image, embedding (karaf-boot)
• Provisioning (maven repository, file, http, …)
• Configuration
• Console
• Logging, Management, Security
 Karaf Features

mvn:my.company/order-service-features/1.0.0/xml

Maven Repo /
Nexus
Karaf
org.apache.karaf.features.cfg
featuresRepositories=…, mvn:my.company/order-service-features/
1.0.0/xml

featuresBoot= …, order-service

console
feature:addurl mvn:my.company/order-service-features/1.0.0/xml
feature:install order-service
 Migration to OSGi in eCommerce Project

• Business Domain: WebShop, eCommerce

• Team: 20 – 30 persons
• Initial technologies: Java, Spring, Hibernate, Apache CXF,
Apache Camel, ActiveMQ, Tomcat
• Current technologies: Java, Hibernate, Apache CXF,
ActiveMQ, OSGi + Apache Karaf, SpringBoot, MongoDB
 Online Shop Architecture

Web Browser

External consumers Frontend Mobile App

Online Finance REST

System
Active
Middleware MQ
Credit-Worthiness
Check System

SAP Oracle DB
 Online Shop Design

REST REST REST REST

User Service Cart Service Article Service Order Service

Customer Domain Article Domain Order Domain

Core Domain

DAOs

SAP
Messaging
DB DB DB
 Online Shop Design

REST REST REST REST

User Service Cart Service Article Service Order Service

Customer Domain Article Domain Order Domain

Core Domain

DAOs

SAP
Messaging
DB DB DB
 Step 1: Packages Refactoring
com.mycompany com.mycompany
.domain.user .domain.user
.routes .account
.processors
.password
.converters
.mappers .deliveryaddress
.exceptions .billingaddress

• Classes for business function are grouped together -> high cohesion
• Less dependencies between packages -> low coupling
• Private and public packages are easily recognizable (model, api,
impl)
Christian Schneider ApacheCon Europe 2014 “Reflection of Design of Business Applications”
 Step 2: Connectors API

REST REST REST REST

User Service Cart Service Article Service Order Service

Customer Domain Article Domain Order Domain

Core Domain

API: OSGI Svc API: OSGI Svc API: OSGI Svc API: OSGI Services API: OSGI Services
DB Connector DB Connector DB Connector SAP Connector Messaging Connector

SAP
ActiveMQ
DB DB DB
 Step 3: Parallel Web And OSGi Deployment
Web Application
Module Code
WAR
OSGi
Features
resources

spring

OSGI-INF/blueprint

<packaging>bundle</packaging>
…
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.felix</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-bundle-plugin</
artifactId>
</plugin>
 Step 4: Refactor Complex Domain Logic (Camel Routes)
from(„vm:PriceAndAvailability“) PriceAndAvailResult getPriceAndAvail (Cart cart,
1
.bean(availabilityOptionsMapper) AvailabilityOptions options);
.multicast(hdrAggregationStrategy
)
ATPOptions atpOptions = mapAvailabilityOptions(options);
.parallelProcessing().timeout(100) …
.to(„direct:getPrice“) final Future<AvailabilityReturner> availabilityFuture =
executorService.submit(availabilityTask);
.to („direct:getAvailability“) 2 final Future<PriceReturner> priceFuture =
.end executorService.submit(priceTask);
.validate(availabilityValidator) …
validateAvailability(availability);
.bean(priceAvailResponseMapper) PriceAndAvailResult result = new
PriceAndAvailabilityResult(availability,
price);

• What type of data is • Type safe interfaces

transmitted? • Clearly shows what data is proceed
• Debug me ☺ • Not essentially verbose as Camel route
• Would it be harder in plain • Easy to debug and understand for team
Java?
Christian Schneider ApacheCon Europe 2014 “Reflection of Design of Business Applications”
 Step 4: Domains APIs And Refactoring

REST REST REST REST

User Service Cart Service Article Service Order Service

Customer API: OSGI Domain

Services Article API; API: OSGI Services Order API; API: OSGI Services
Customer Domain
Order Domain
API; Domain Domain Article Domain Logic
Model Logic Model Model Logic

API: OSGI Svc API: OSGI Services API: OSGI Svc API: OSGI Svc API: OSGI Services
DB Connector SAP Connector DB Connector DB Connector Messaging Connector

SAP
DB DB DB ActibeMQ
 Step 5: Separate containers for some services
RE RE
ST ST

Container Middleware Container Event

REST REST REST RE

ST

User Service Cart Service Event Service

Container Article

REST REST REST

Checkout Article
Order Service Service
Service
async Messaging

REST REST
Newsletter
Address Service
Service Messaging
async

SAP
Messaging
DB DB
 REST Communication in OSGi
• DOSGi and Aries Remote Service Admin (RSA)
Christian Schneider “Lean Microservices on OSGi“, ApacheCon EU 2016

• Explicit via CXF

Design For Failure With Hystrix(Netflix)
Resilience With Hystrix
Resilience With Hystrix
 Conclusions and Lessons Learned
• Design your application modular (either in OSGi or not)
• Care about decoupling between modules, high cohesion
inside the module and modules dependencies
• Continuously refactor your modules to achive optimal
boundaries
• Stay on single process at the beginning, split application
into different processes only if it is required and brings
benefits
• Define your remote and async APIs carefully, design
remote calls for failure
 OSGi Critic and Myths
OSGi is complex: in understanding, in build, in deployment
and in debugging and has poor tooling support

The most understandable specification in the world (inclusive HTTP,

ConfigAdmin, DS, RSA, JTA, JMX, JPA)

<packaging>bundle</packaging>
…
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.felix</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-bundle-plugin</artifactId>
</plugin>

Features, configuration, security, console

OSGi Critic and Myths
 OSGi Critic and Myths
OSGi is not supported by frameworks and libraries
 OSGi Critic and Myths
OSGi is not supported by frameworks and libraries
 OSGi Critic and Myths
The most important OSGi feature is hot updates: install, delete or
replace the bundle on the fly

Yes, OSGi is designed for updates without restarting the whole

application, but:

1. Normally it is safer to restart the whole Container to have

reproducible state in production
2. Hot deployment is not a free lunch: application have to be
designed and tested for that
3. The main OSGi gain is not a hot deployment, but clean modular
application design, isolation and decoupling of modules. Hot
deployment is more derivative feature
4. Can be useful in developer environment, special use cases, partly
restarts
 REST Communication in OSGi
• Consider REST Architectural Style principles (resources
design, verbs contracts, response codes, statelessness)
• Reuse CXF providers, features and interceptors (logging,
security)
• Customize (if necessary) through own JAX-RS Filters and
Interceptors, MessageBodyReaders and Writers,
ParamConverters, CXF Interceptors
• Consider to use Swagger to document and test your API
• Make your external calls resilient
 OSGi Decoupling
Hibersap Bundle MySapFacade Bundle
Exports: org.hibersap, Exports: org.hibersap,
org.hibersap.execustion.jco, org.hibersap.execustion.jco,
org.hibersap.mapping.model org.hibersap.mapping.model

Decoupling
SAP JCO Communication
MyBusinessDomain Bundle Implementation

Imports: my.connector.sap Exports: my.connector.sap

Import Service: Export Service Implementation:

my.connector.sap.OrderExport my.connector.sap.OrderExport
 Karaf Deployment
Configured as Jenkins JOBs with folwoing steps:
1. Stop Karaf Instance
2. Replace org.apache.karaf.features.cfg
3. Start Karaf Instance
4. Waiting for AvailabilityService
 System Environments

Integration Consolidation Production

LB LB

Developer Tests • QA
Production
• Performance
tests
• Load tests
Swagger in JAXRS API
Swagger in JAXRS API: Java First
Swagger in JAXRS API: WADL First