Revolutionizing Business Workflows with Microservices Orchestration

The rise of generative AI has prompted many companies to explore the benefits of integrating AI-driven automation into their business workflows. One such company that has embraced this trend is SPI Logistics, a logistics management and freight transportation services company based in Surrey, British Columbia. Recognizing the need for an IT automation platform that would be user-friendly for both developers and a small IT ops team, SPI Logistics embarked on a journey to modernize its architecture from monoliths into microservices.

Microservices, a collection of loosely coupled components that operate independently, have gained popularity in recent years for managing complex cloud-native distributed applications. By adopting microservices, each DevOps team can take ownership of a specific part of the overall microservices workflow. However, the adoption of microservices also requires organizations to align their workflows with the underlying distributed app framework.

Initially, SPI Logistics used a combination of AWS Step Functions and Apache Airflow for workflow management. However, as their microservices multiplied and the company considered incorporating AI applications into their workflows, the IT ops team recognized the need for a more comprehensive and packaged solution. The team evaluated various alternatives, including microservices orchestration and microservices choreography.

Microservices orchestration tools provide centralized control over sequentially ordered workflow steps distributed among compute nodes called workers. On the other hand, microservices choreography relies on a loosely coupled event-driven system for workflow distribution. While microservices orchestration offers greater control over workflows, it can become a single point of failure if not managed properly.

After careful consideration, SPI Logistics decided to implement microservices orchestration using Netflix Conductor, an open-source tool known for its reliability and scalability. Conductor provides a queue system that allows the company to set up task queues, enabling generic workers that can handle rate limiting. Additionally, Conductor runs on a Kubernetes cluster, providing automatic restarts for containerized workloads and increasing system resilience.

To simplify the management of Conductor and Kubernetes, SPI Logistics found assistance from Orkes, a cloud managed service provider founded by the creators of Conductor. With Orkes, SPI Logistics gained access to prepackaged workflows for AI microservices orchestration, helping them streamline their fraud detection and bidding processes. The integration of generative AI and machine learning-based applications into SPI’s workflows will increase efficiency and accuracy, allowing for faster analysis and decision-making.

Microservices orchestration has revolutionized the way SPI Logistics manages its business workflows. The company can now seamlessly integrate AI-driven automation, enabling parallel work and collaboration between business specialists and developers. With a reliable and scalable orchestration framework in place, SPI Logistics is well-prepared to optimize its operations and stay ahead in the ever-evolving logistics industry.

FAQ

What are microservices?

Microservices are a collection of loosely coupled components that operate independently and communicate with each other through APIs. They are used to build complex cloud-native distributed applications, allowing each DevOps team to take ownership of a specific part of the overall workflow.

What is microservices orchestration?

Microservices orchestration is a method of managing and controlling workflows in an orderly manner. It utilizes a centralized control plane to manage sequentially ordered workflow steps that are distributed among compute nodes called workers.

What is the difference between microservices orchestration and microservices choreography?

Microservices orchestration and microservices choreography are two major approaches to managing microservices workflows. Orchestrations tools provide centralized control over workflows, while choreography relies on a loosely coupled event-driven system with no centralized management point.

What is Conductor?

Conductor is an open-source microservices orchestration tool created by Netflix. It offers a reliable and scalable solution for managing workflows in microservices-based architectures.

How does microservices orchestration benefit companies adopting AI applications?

Microservices orchestration provides companies with a centralized and reliable framework for integrating AI applications into their workflows. It enables faster analysis, decision-making, and collaboration between business specialists and developers.