10 things ever architect should know about the Windows Azure Platform - ericnel
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This document discusses 10 key things that every architect needs to know when working with the Windows Azure platform. It notes that code runs on hosted services made up of roles that can have multiple instances running the same code and configuration. Data is typically stored either in Windows Azure storage or SQL Azure. The dynamic environment means roles have limited control and instances can stop without warning, so architects must account for this volatility and handle state preservation. Overall, the document provides an overview of fundamental concepts an architect needs to understand when designing applications for the Windows Azure platform.
10 things ever architect should know about the Windows Azure Platform - ericnel
- 1. 10 things every architect needs to know Eric Nelson | ISV Application Architect | Microsoft UK [email protected] | http://bit.ly/ericnelson | http://twitter.com/ericnel Page 1
- 2. Assumption • You already have some familiarity with the Windows Azure Platform • If you don’t then you will still learn stuff – But you will be missing some context. Sorry – Also check out • http://bit.ly/azuretrenchesbookvol1 • http://ukazure.ning.com/events Page 2
- 3. Agenda Overview • Dynamic environment • Role Instances • Latency & timeouts • Transactions & bandwidth • Data/state • Data sensitivity Summary Page 3
- 4. Overview Page 4
- 5. Windows Azure Platform makes it easy and cost effective to run your applications and store your data inside Microsoft Data Centres using existing skills and integrate with your existing on-premise applications Page 5
- 6. Windows Azure Platform Page 6
- 7. Your code runs in Hosted Services made up of Roles Page 7
- 8. Your Roles are code + configuration Page 8
- 9. You choose which type(s) of Role to run your code in Page 9
- 10. At runtime you can have multiple instances of your Roles Load Balancer http://yourapp.cloudapp.net Page 10
- 11. You store your data in Windows Azure Storage Page 11
- 12. And/or you store your data in SQL Azure Page 12
- 13. Vs traditional Windows development It’s not really It’s not really different. different. There is just There is just more of it less of it Therefore many Windows Web development best practices apply Page 13
- 14. “Typical” Azure Application Windows Azure Platform Your Data Web Site Web Site Web ASMX,WCF) (ASPX, Role (ASPX, ASMX, WCF) Queues (ASPX, WCF, PhP) L B Worker Worker L Blobs Service Role B Internet Your Code Tables Your Relational Data Tables Views SPs Triggers Page 14
- 15. Is it just about this? “On and Off “ “Growing Fast“ Compute Compute Inactivity Period Average Average Usage Usage Time Time On and off workloads (e.g. batch Successful services needs to job) grow/scale Over provisioned capacity is wasted Keeping up w/growth is big IT Time to market can be cumbersome challenge Complex lead time for deployment “Unpredictable “Predictable Bursting“ Bursting“ Compute Average Compute Average Usage Usage Time Time Unexpected/unplanned peak in demand Services with micro seasonality trends Sudden spike impacts performance Peaks due to periodic increased demand Can’t over provision for extreme cases IT complexity and wasted capacity Page 15
- 16. Or is it also about this? “I want to try “Departmental“ something now“ Machines Machines Time Time Need to quickly provision new Need to quickly provision new machines for a temporary period of machines for a departmental solution time “Just store “Extend to data in the Cloud“ the Cloud“ With all processing elsewhere Extend existing applications “Migrate existing “New hybrid services“ applications“ Benefits of reduced operational costs On-premise and Cloud aka S+S Page 16
- 17. Behavioral changes Developers feel empowered Cost of Developers architectural become decisions is entrepreneurs more visible Page 17
- 18. Agenda Overview • Role Instances • Dynamic environment • Latency & timeouts • Transactions & bandwidth • Data/state • Data sensitivity Summary Page 18
- 19. Dynamic Environment Page 19
- 20. Dynamic Environment means… Windows Traditional Azure Control over network topology Admin Limited control over IPs, ports and machines Control Consistent bandwidth with stable latency Latency Variable latency and bandwidth Control over machine Machine names can change identification Identification every time an instance starts Limited control over lifetime, Control over machine lifetime Volatility state becomes transient Page 20
- 21. Admin control (or lack of it) • Limited access to local environment and state – No admin rights and privileges are available (yet). – No pre-setup or configuration can be done (yet). • Code defines exact set up of roles which provides uniformity across instances Page 21
- 22. Volatility: Your instances will be stopped Patching React • When an instance goes away, it’s Notification of gone, including its state! Moving instance • Properly handle state so it can lifecycle events be preserved. Failure Page 22
- 23. Role instance management example Page 23
- 24. Dynamic networking • Dynamic environment means dynamic networking – Ports changes – IPs change – Cannot rely on node IPs or machine names • The traditional way of networking may no longer be the best fit. – Direct communication is possible – Shift to indirect • Using Windows Azure storage • Using Windows Azure Service Bus Page 24
- 25. Role Instances Page 25
- 26. Instances of Role Types “Typical Application” But… Finance Web Message Finance Web Web Role A Message Role A Role A Queue Queue 10 Sec 10 Sec Worker Role A Worker Worker Role A Role A TIP: Queue writes are approx 20/s per writer Page 26
- 27. Consolidation of Role Types Scalable Message Passing Meta-Message Passing HR Finance Sales HR Finance Sales Message Message Message Message Message Message Meta-queue HR HR Finance Sales Finance Queue Queue Queue Sales 10 10 5 Finance Sec Sec Sec 10 Sec Worker Worker Worker Meta-worker Role Role Role Role Message Type? TIP: Web Roles can communicate direct to Workers TIP: Maximum time to process a Q Item is 2 hours Page 27
- 28. Elasticity and Roles From this To this Finance Web Web Finance Web Web Web Message Role A Role A Message Role A Role A Role A 10 to 15 Queue minutes Queue 10 Sec 10 Sec Worker Worker Worker Worker Role A Role A Role A Role A Page 28
- 29. Latency and Timeouts Page 29
- 30. Latency On premises application App Data Service App Request Consistent and accepted latencies Cloud based application App Service Data App Request Increases in quantity and variability of latencies TIP: Expect Web Role to SQL Azure to take about twice as long Page 30
- 31. Timeout On premises application Try to connect Service App App Request Data Consistent, reliable connectivity and access Connection Yes Continue doing Successful? work Cloud based application Timeouts? No Service App App Request Data No Tried 5 Yes Increased likelihood of timeouts times? Fail Page 31
- 32. Timeout Retry Code Example Page 32
- 33. Timeout Retry Code Example Page 33
- 34. Timeout Retry Code Example TIP: There is a new code library for all this! Page 34
- 35. Transactions & bandwidth Page 35
- 36. Transactions & bandwidth •Bandwidth • Charged for usage • Functionality that was not bandwidth Access Control based may now be effected. Per AC transactions/month • E.g. using Windows Azure Blobs instead of writing to disk Bandwidth Per GB transfer to/from datacenter •Transactions • Charged by quantity Storage • Access types that were not Per GB stored & transactions traditionally on a transaction count may now be effected. Service Bus • E.g. using Access Control Services Per connection/month and Storage SQL Azure Per GB allocated database by day Page 36
- 37. Data center usage costing comparison Web Role Web Role Transaction Transaction Browser Image Download Blob Browser Image Download Blob Bandwidth Bandwidth Egress Egress TIP: Increasing the size of the VM will increase network throughput Page 37
- 38. Batch Payloads Frequent message Option 1: passing with a small Serialized # of transactions amount of data can Message Passing Header effect performance and Header Header cost. Header Header Content Content Content Header Total Bytes or Content Overhead Content Content Content Header Message Content Structure Content Header Option 2; Content # of txs TIP: Q items 8KB limit Packaged Message Content TIP: Watch out for data formats! Passing Content Total Bytes TIP: Use storage APIs to group transactions Page 38
- 39. Batch Queries Single Query Use Batch Query Use Query Worker Query Role A Query Worker Worker Query Query Role Role B Query Worker Query Query Reduction of bandwidth Role C and transactions! Query Worker Query Query Role D Query Worker Role Worker Query Query Role E Query Page 39
- 40. Be aware of “new costs” e.g. polling • Consider introducing polling a queue every 100ms • 25,920,000 polls/month • £0.0061 per 10,000 storage transactions • Therefore it will cost – £15.81/month • To get an SLA, need two worker roles polling – £31.62/month • Cost of two workers – £0.0728 per hour x 720 x 2 – £104.83/month • Total cost £136.45/month Page 40
- 41. Be aware of cost 140 million $140 Transactions per Month 120 million $120 Cost per Month 100 million $100 80 million $80 60 million $60 40 million $40 20 million $20 0 1 instance 5 instances 100 ms 100 ms Instances polling storage Page 41
- 42. Be aware of cost 140 million $140 Transactions per Month 120 million $120 Cost per Month 100 million $100 80 million $80 60 million $60 40 million $40 20 million $20 0 5 instances 5 instances 100 ms 1 second Instances polling storage Page 42
- 43. Be aware of cost Be wary of frequent transactions with little work being done 140 million $140 Transactions per Month 120 million $120 Cost per Month Unnecessary Cost 100 million $100 80 million $80 60 million $60 40 million $40 20 million $20 0 5 instances Polls which 100 ms found work Instances polling storage Page 43
- 44. Polling best practices • Poll less often • Synchronize polling with business needs 8am to 12am til 4am 12pm – – every 1 every 100ms minute 4am til 8am – every 10 seconds Page 44
- 45. Polling best practices cont. Scalable Message Passing Meta-Message Passing HR Finance Sales HR Finance Sales Message Message Message Message Message Message Meta-queue HR HR Finance Sales Finance Queue Queue Queue Sales 10 10 5 Finance Sec Sec Sec 10 Sec Worker Worker Worker Meta-worker Role Role Role Role Message Type? Page 45
- 46. Data/State Page 46
- 47. Data/State • Windows Azure instances are highly dynamic – Role instance local data is volatile • Instances are independent – State changes are not reflected in other instances • Therefore – Local instance storage is only useful for temporary data or as a cache – All other data needs to be moved to durable storage Page 47
- 48. You have many choices for data Relational Database Structured Storage Unstructured Storage NTFS Drive Service Communication Page 48
- 49. Side by Side Evaluation Single SQL Single Blob Drive Queue Table Azure Database Structured Data Y Y Relational Database Y Server Side Processing Y Direct Access from outside Y Y Y Y Azure Messaging Infrastructure Y Persistent Storage Y Y 1 week Y Y 200 GB/ 1 Size Limit 1 TB 100 TB 100 TB 50 GB (*) TB Page 49
- 50. Example: Registry/Configuration/User Settings A traditional set of data that is traditionally stored on the local environment is configuration and user settings. Commonly this is stored in the registry, xml or ini files. Options Best Case Usage Blob storage Configuration file that is read only once during app load SQL database Used in environments where a SQL database already exists Windows Azure table User settings that may be changed externally from the environment Page 50
- 51. Tables for storing Data Why do this? Partition Row Key Data Data Data Data Key Customer ID Description Name Credit Card # Order Total Tracking ID 1 Customer John Smith xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx Partition A 1 Order – 1 £35.12 Z783lhs 1 Order – 2 £75.00 Z829bhb 2 Customer Bill Johnson xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx Partition B 2 Order – 3 £10.00 Z778asd 2 Order – 4 £42.00 Z239uhy 3 Customer Travis Jones xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx Partition C 3 Order – 5 £25.93 Z329nps 3 Order – 6 £80.94 Z440ydd Page 51
- 52. Selecting keys is … key Consider searching an address book Search By Partition Key Row Key Name Last name + First initial First name + Middle initial Phone number Area code Number Address County + city House number + Street name TIP: Table deletes take time TIP: Replicate data to avoid joins and increase indexes Page 52
- 53. Data Sensitivity Page 53
- 54. Segmentation Online Shop Online Shop Product catalogue Purchasing Product Database catalogue Secure Transaction (Service Bus) Page 54
- 55. Sharding Contact ID Contact ID First Name First Name Cloud Last Name Last Name Shipping Information Shipping Information Customer Credit Card # Social Security # Contact ID Billing Data Customer Credit Card # On Premises Other Information Social Security # On Premises Other Information Page 55
- 56. Encryption Contact ID Contact ID First Name First Name Cloud Last Name Last Name Shipping Information Shipping Information £!”$&$%!&£% Customer Credit Card # !£$&!%£&%* Social Security # £”$&!%*^(& Billing Data ^$”$&%$”& On Premises Other Information On Premises Page 56
- 57. Agenda Overview • Role Instances • Dynamic environment • Latency & timeouts • Transactions & bandwidth • Data/state • Data sensitivity Summary Page 57
- 58. Summary • Windows Web Development best practices apply • But • Cost becomes surprisingly significant in shaping architectures • Plenty of early adopters, therefore – Good Architecture guidance is now appearing – Plenty of detail to dig into Page 58
- 59. NEXT STEPS For latest slides and all the links http://bit.ly/ericnelson For more resources and information http://bit.ly/startazure As an ISV intending to explore/adopt azure, sign up to http://bit.ly/ukmpr and come along and meet with us http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ukisvdev Eric Nelson | ISV Application Architect | Microsoft UK [email protected] | http://bit.ly/ericnelson | http://twitter.com/ericnel Page 59
- 60. SQL Azure Labs Page 60
- 61. Demo Page 61