A Proven Microservices Migration Partner
Often, rebuilding monolithic software systems as a portfolio of microservices is the most efficient solution for companies looking to modernize their technology and transition to the cloud. It also brings significant gains in flexibility, scalability, and deployment speeds.
And, in many cases, microservices may be a more affordable solution than your monolithic legacy application.
That said, realizing the benefits of a microservices architecture hinges on developing a fast-paced framework built on tangible outcomes, close client-provider collaboration, and strict adherence to Agile and DevOps processes.
What Is Microservices?
Microservices is an architecture that differs from traditional, monolithic apps by breaking app functions into a series of decentralized modules that run independently but communicate with each other using a connected system of APIs. By comparison, monolithic architectures are made up of tightly-coupled processes and operate as a single service, written as one long block of code.
In a microservices architecture, each module is built around a specific use case. Since every “service” runs independently, developers have the freedom to select the programming language, storage solutions, and other technologies best suited to each capability.
This allows organizations to move away from large scale releases, where even tracking requirements can take months, allowing for faster development, testing, and deployment, which, in turn, means faster time to revenue.
What to Know Before Moving to a Microservices Architecture
Looking back at our experience working with different companies across a diverse range of industries, we’ve found that there are a few key things that need to be in place to make the transformation successfully. Here’s a quick overview of those critical components:
Product Management Stays Focused on Business Value
The first thing you’ll need to get right is product management. You’ll need to determine which feature sets will deliver the most value to the end-user.
Each module should be built with a tight focus on each of these features. From a product management standpoint, it’s vital that team leads are super clear on communicating customer expectations and what it’s going to take to deliver on those expectations.
Microservices Architecture and Environment
Second, taking the time to set up your architecture and your development and environment properly is another critical success factor. The goal here is to create an environment where you can develop each feature independently and deploy them individually as updates are made.
You’ll also want to be able to piece each feature together, to get a clear picture of your capacity, progress, and what steps are required to achieve the desired result. This will help ensure that despite the various programming languages and approaches used to create this application, the end-product is seamless, cohesive and in line with user expectations.
Agile & DevOps are Key in Getting Microservices Right
Unfortunately, we see a lot of organizations where each department sits in its own silo, following a waterfall approach, where projects are completed in a series of distinct stages, moving from start to finish in a linear fashion.
The problem here is, business moves much faster than the traditional waterfall methodology allows. Instead, we believe that the best path toward microservices implementation is approaching the transformation using Agile principles as a framework, along with the DevOps practice of continuously working toward a better solution–with no end in sight.
Tiempo’s collaborative, high-performance culture can help you gain an edge on the competition with our frequent Agile software releases that support the high expectations of today’s customers.
With several microservices projects under our belt, Tiempo Development can help you plan and execute your microservice migration, and then offer ongoing support.
Migration is only the first step; in order to realize the transformational potential of microservices, we manage them in a process of ongoing improvement and enhancement using continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) that keeps code connected and aligned across your microservices. As a result, you’ll be able to roll out new capabilities fast — without compromising quality.
Bring Microservices to the Cloud, Your Way
Our expertise allows us to quickly perform nondisruptive deployments that take full advantage of the elasticity and scalability of modern cloud architectures. Cloud microservices can support ongoing software transformation with modern Agile practices and CI/CD, and reduce the effort of globally distributing software functionality to users.
If you’d rather not fully re-architect your legacy application and prefer to maintain its on-site structure, we can use container technology to support the transition to the cloud. We’ll still modernize it for greater portability and ease of deployment using Agile processes, DevOps, and CI/CD.
Finally, if you would rather have a more conservative and cautious approach, we can redesign an application with minimal code changes to prepare it for the cloud, so that way you can take advantage of the performance, security, scalability, and economy of cloud technology, risk-free.
Start Leveraging the Power of Microservices
Struggling to decouple your monolithic application? Not sure how to start the microservices migration process? We can help. Tiempo’s highly-experienced team of developers, project managers, engineers, and QA testers have supported hundreds of organizations as they transition from legacy monolith to microservices.
From strategy and planning to dedicated Agile teams ready to execute on your vision, Tiempo has the resources you need to make your initiative a success.
Beyond faster deployments and increased scalability, making the microservices migration is a serious decision. In our webinar, Microservices are Here, Are You Ready, Tiempo COO, Mike Hahn talks with our client, CBT Nuggets CTO, Sean Sullivan, who recently went through the process himself. You can watch the recording here.
Microservices Strategy Consulting
Tiempo’s microservices strategy consulting services help you build a business case for decoupling your monolithic legacy application in the form of microservices. We work with your development team to get your microservices initiative underway with the architecture, project management, and DevOps practices that best serve your goals.
Tiempo helps you generate the benefits of microservices in a realistic timeframe without disrupting or slowing operations, or negatively impacting users. Code control always remains within your organization, and we’ll make sure that your developers and project owners don’t need to take time off for training.
Microservices Consulting Shortens Time-to-Benefits
When microservices strategy follows a DevOps approach with CI/CD and continuous improvements, the results speak for themselves. Tiempo clients see increased ROI and are able to uncover business outcomes that wouldn’t be possible with monolith legacy software.
They can also help reduce the costs of owning and managing infrastructures and technology tools, and also facilitate the delivery of new, high-quality functionality faster than the software monolith allowed.
Tiempo specialists are experts in implementing the technology and best practices for transforming your legacy application and realistically pushing the envelope of the possible in order to achieve these results.
Microservices Strategy Consulting Offers Hands-On Help for Bringing Cultural Change
Companies that take over microservices projects but don’t adopt Agile practices may have trouble achieving the results they were hoping for. Without the expertise and the right processes in place, organizations often make the mistake of treating microservices like smaller, traditional applications.
A stealthy return to the previous status quo is not the result you want from a microservices migration initiative.
Developing a successful microservices strategy depends on more than a cloud migration and technical and procedural changes. To bring a microservices initiative to fruition, organizations must follow mature Agile development and DevOps processes.
This means that the entire organization from the executives to the developers, product managers, and testers must adopt and adhere to new communication and collaboration methods that drive their activities.
If your team is used to a more traditional approach, it may take some time to adjust to cultural change. Tiempo’s microservices strategy consulting teams draw on years of experience, walking you through the “how” and the “why” behind the cultural change, and getting the entire team on-board with values like transparency, accountability, and ongoing communications.
When people start to see that new processes help them unleash their talents and do more meaningful, innovative work at a faster pace, they’ll be thrilled — and likely to stay committed to the new way of doing things.
Microservices Strategy Consulting Helps Teams Make Their Way to the Cloud
For many companies, re-creating monolithic applications as microservices involves deploying and evolving them in the cloud. Tiempo’s microservices consultants can help you identify, implement, and deploy your modernized system using best-in-class technologies that support your business goals.
Our consultants bring years of experience across hundreds of projects to the table, drawing on past engagements to help you develop a roadmap for your cloud microservices strategy that takes full advantage of the cloud’s scalability, elasticity, security, and cost-efficiency.
