Alibaba Middle Cloud 11 Product Interview Internet Middleware

Middleware technology was initially supported by the internal systems of Alibaba Cloud. Many external customers have encountered some technical problems in the transition from centralized systems to distributed systems. In order to better serve customers and share some of Alibaba's mature technologies with external customers, Alibaba Cloud has launched a series of Internet middleware products like recovery framework, message queue, real-time monitoring and performance testing.

In the process of making EDAS products, we initially provided the basic functions of the application to external customers, including application management, application release and other functions. After that, we provided Ali's internal RPC framework to external customers, and hoped that external customers could be based on the EDAS platform. Build a micro-service architecture quickly and help them develop applications. In addition, we will provide external customers with a series of functions such as service governance, high availability control, and current limiting downgrade.

In what scenarios does the user use the function of current limiting?

The current-limit downgrade is compared to Internet companies with a certain size. These companies have product promotion activities at specific times, resulting in a large number of users using the system at the same time, resulting in sudden traffic spikes, not only system pressure, but also a lot of traffic. In this case, we hope that through a technical approach, it is very easy for customers to make the transition peak. In EDAS, the current-limit degradation feature helps users easily prioritize micro-services. When the peak arrives, the high-priority and high-priority processes can be prioritized through visual configuration, and the lower-priority processes can be downgraded.

EDAS is also used very often inside Ali. What is the difference between Alibaba Cloud internal and external customers when using EDAS?

EDAS has been developed within Alibaba Cloud for more than a decade. When we launched EDAS today, the biggest difference between internal and external is the difference in the stage. Most external customers are still in the early or mid-stage of technological transformation and technology upgrades. So in this process, EDAS also designed a lot of specific functions for the technical stage of these customers in the product design.

In the EDAS product design, we are designed for each user. Many features are very popular. Features such as the release and management of applications are particularly popular. In the traditional way, users must log in to the server to deploy the application process. In EDAS, Alibaba Cloud helps users quickly deploy high-volume applications through a visualization platform that helps users batch, interrupt, and issue presentations. In the vast Dubbo framework, the biggest pain point is to deploy a Dubbo application, you must pay attention to the service registry. If the service registry is hung up, the entire service call may be affected. In EDAS, we provide users with a transparent service registry that does not require user operation and maintenance. Users can deploy directly after writing the service program, and do not need to care about other things. EDAS also has a series of user-friendly features such as service monitoring, stereoscopic technology monitoring, and container monitoring.

How should different types of users, such as individual developers, start-ups, banks or financial institutions, choose the appropriate version of EDAS?

The entire Alibaba Cloud public cloud grew from small to large, with small companies built by three or four people, and large companies with more than 500 employees. In order to better help customers solve their problems, EDAS divides the products into basic, advanced, professional and platinum versions to take care of different types of customers and help users at all levels to solve the problems they face at different stages. The problem.

What are the special offers for Alibaba Cloud 11 for EDAS?

EDAS recently launched the "One Dollar Plan", which uses users in the basic version of 1-20 nodes and the advanced version of EDAS, which costs only one dollar per month. On the day we launched the dollar plan, we gained a lot of users' love. The original intention of launching the “One Dollar Plan” is simple. It is hoped that the mature technology of Ali will be more effective and broader in the future. Under the pressure of business pressure, startups seldom have the energy to dig deeper in technology. We hope to help the vast majority of users solve the technical urgency with lower cost and less money. EDAS's “One Dollar Plan” allows more SMEs to spend less money to enjoy the value of Alibaba Cloud Pratt & Whitney technology.

In addition to the one dollar plan, in the upcoming double 11 singles day, EDAS also brings you a very big discount, for all EDAS versions, no matter how many nodes, can enjoy 50% off shopping discounts, old users can also enjoy a 20% discount Offer. We also hope that more users will be able to try EDAS products through this opportunity.

Why is the message queue (referred to as MQ) a must-have product for enterprises?

Message middleware is an old and quite an industry that keeps pace with the times. Message Queuing has been very popular in the middleware world. MQ is the middle of the Ali cloud over the years, the double 11 singles day will use the middleware products, played a main role in the double 11 singles day activities. Alibaba Cloud has reached tens of millions of TPSs in the TPS of the peak of 11 points in 2016. The total amount of news throughout the day has reached the scale of trillions, which is one of the best running indicators in the world. Last week, the message queue kernel RocketMQ successfully became the Apache top-level project, which is also very happy for the Alibaba Cloud news team.

What business scenarios does Message Queuing apply to?

The use of message queues is very extensive. More typical is the peak-filling valley. Take Alibaba Cloud Double 11 singles day as an example. At the peak of the 11th zero point every year, the system traffic increases significantly in a short time. In order to prevent the front-end users' payment requests from exerting tremendous pressure on the back-end logistics, settlement, and preferential systems, the message queue component is introduced to help us to eliminate peaks and buffers traffic during peak traffic, and then slowly put the traffic low when the traffic is low. The task is consumed. Compared with the RPC framework synchronization in EDAS to solve the problem of calling the distributed system, MQ uses the combination of asynchronous and system to solve the communication problem between systems. In the distributed transaction scenario, message middleware is also used, such as logistics network, IOT, mobile live broadcast and other fields.

What is special about Aliyun messaging middleware compared to open source middleware products on the market?

The Ali messaging middleware team has been developing for ten years since 2007. In the process, a lot of technical strength was precipitated. In addition to the above performance indicators, there is also a very large investment in stability. We have made three backups for each message to make sure they are not lost. MQ also provides support for a series of message types such as continuous messages, sequential messages, transaction messages, and timing messages. On the entire Alibaba Cloud public cloud, its coverage is very wide. We also have full support for the open source Kafka ecosystem. Users using the Apache Kafka framework can seamlessly deploy to Alibaba Cloud without changing the code.

Alibaba Cloud's message queue is not only very strong in performance but also supports a wide variety of message types. Will the cost be expensive?

All products on Alibaba Cloud adhere to the principle of minimizing costs for users. The payment standard for MQ is paid by volume. If the user traffic is small and the business is small, you can use MQ in the free gradient. As the business grows, MQ can also provide transparent and unlimited horizontal expansion services to users. In addition, MQ also provides a series of visual operation and maintenance platform, which can save users a very large operation and maintenance cost. It turns out that many external messaging middleware operation and maintenance teams have been transformed into R&D teams, and operation and maintenance investment has been very small.

In addition to paying for volume, MQ also launched the corporate platinum version. What is unique about it?

Compared with the standard version, the MQ Platinum Edition not only adds features such as specific things, timing and other advanced features, but also provides customized services for specific customers. It is equivalent to building a dedicated independent cluster for customers, allowing customers to provide first-line product managers and R&D architects to solve the technical problems and architectural optimization problems encountered by customers in the process of using independent MQ clusters.

Similar to live broadcasts, Internet of Things, shared bicycles, and other industry hotspots, has the message queue launched some unique versions for them?

Earlier this year, the MQ team launched the Micro Message Queuing (LMQ) product line for use on the Alibaba Cloud public cloud. This product is aimed at customer services that support the access of billions of devices, helping users to quickly connect Internet devices. In this double 11 singles day event, we specially launched the prepaid version of LMQ to pay 50% off the annual discount. I hope that more users of the Internet of Things and live broadcast industry will feel the message queue of Aliyun.

In the distributed field, the database is also a very core component. Has Alibaba launched a database-related product?

The most critical database-like domain in the distribution, Alibaba Cloud DRDS distributed database products must be inseparable. In the entire middleware team, the distributed association database DRDS was launched. This product focuses on solving a series of distributed database problems such as read-write separation, sub-database partitioning, and wireless horizontal expansion in distributed areas and distributed problems during peak traffic distribution.

The functions of sub-database partitioning, read-write separation, etc. are also available in many open source products. What are the advantages of DRDS compared with them?

Compared with external open source products, read-write separation, sub-control sub-tables are indeed more common. In Alibaba Cloud products, its uniqueness lies in the fact that Alibaba Cloud has developed over the past ten years and accumulated a large number of users' split appeals on a large number of scenes on the sub-control sub-tables, which has precipitated a large number of sub-database sub-table strategies. Users can use this product directly in Alibaba Cloud without having to explore according to their own scenes. In addition, with the DRDS product, users can transparently turn a single-machine database into a distributed database, and the upper-layer services basically do not need to be changed. Through DRDS products, customers can perform sub-library distribution and sub-library operations. When the real traffic peaks, you can fully carry out wireless pressure bearing through wireless horizontal expansion. In the process, the customer's business does not have any interference. So DRDS products are very transparent and friendly to our business. In addition, Alibaba Cloud DRDS products are also aimed at a large number of enterprise customers. For these customers, we have launched enterprise-level account systems, security policies and other security online support, which are unique to enterprise customers.

Are there any restrictions on users of Alibaba Cloud when using DRDS? Do you need to use it with RDS?

DRDS can cluster multiple RDS databases on Alibaba Cloud to facilitate the formation of a distributed RDS cluster. From such a level, the use of Alibaba Cloud is inseparable from RDS. Before using DRDS, users must determine the region and the available area to purchase RDS first, and then purchase DRDS, so that the DRDS can be assembled into a distributed cluster. Users need to pay separately when they buy DRDS. During the double 11 singles day period, users can enjoy a 30% discount on the purchase of DRDS and a 20% discount on the annual fee. This discount is also very large.

Pressure measurement is a very common tool. What are the characteristics of Alibaba Cloud performance test products?

Alibaba Cloud Performance Test Product Performance Test (PTS) is a relatively traditional product in the field of performance testing. Alibaba Cloud PTS products spss the entire pressure measurement service. Customers don't need to deploy any components on the public cloud, they can quickly use the pressure measurement service by providing an entry point for the entire application. Ali PTS products have some unique advantages. PTS has a very rich command test function, which can support very complex business scenario testing, and help users compile and discharge business scenario processes through visualization. PTS products can quickly test each process according to the process. In addition, the PTS has a series of PTS pressure measurement models. As long as the PTS indicator expected by the PTS product business system is provided, the PTS result setting can be intelligently and automatically assigned.

In addition, PTS products also launched a platinum version of the full link pressure measurement platform on Alibaba Cloud. The full link pressure measurement platform is a very advanced level on a global scale. Within Alibaba Cloud, it is aimed at the double eleven large traffic, and it can fully link the various services of the system before the real big promotion, instead of the traditional pressure measurement for single machine or single system pressure measurement. It is equivalent to the user can use Alibaba Cloud in the dual 11 nuclear weapon-grade products at a low cost. After introducing the full link pressure measurement model, customers can find all the problems that depend on upstream and downstream. Therefore, the full link pressure measurement scenario simulates the real scene used by the user. In a distributed scenario, each system is associated, and the user's use is also. The biggest goal of full-link pressure measurement is to maximize the simulation of the most realistic business scenarios and to correlate the various systems.

What kind of users is the basic version of PTS for? What is the difference between the platinum version and the basic version? How should users choose a product?

The biggest difference between the Platinum and the Basic Edition is that the Platinum Edition includes a full link pressure measurement service. In the basic version, you can simply think of him as a traditional performance test SPSS service. For the system HTP entry, the user only needs to put this entry on the PTS, and we can start to test it. All traffic in the base version will reach a bottleneck. In the platinum version, due to the use of many Alibaba Cloud internal technologies, the performance pressure can be increased by more than ten times compared with the basic version. In other words, the basic version is suitable for most users and can meet the needs of most users. The Platinum Edition is a better choice if you have certain requirements for concurrent traffic or full link requirements.

Can users who are not deploying their business on Alibaba Cloud use performance testing?

Aliyun PTS products are SaaS services. Most of the customers are users on Alibaba Cloud, and some are not yet on the cloud. Their systems are deployed offline. For this part of the system, for the PTS, it only requires that the functions of these systems have a return mode, and the Internet can be accessed by the PTS, and the PDS can pressurize the system. This product can be used by users who are not Alibaba Cloud. PTS is now available in two forms: resource pack and post-paid pay-per-use. In this double eleven event, you can enjoy a 50% discount on the purchase of PTS resource packs. This discount is definitely not available in normal times. In the past, the PTS anniversary event only gave a 20% discount. In this double 11 singles day event, there are four products in the middleware that will participate in the big-scale promotional activities, and the discounts are very large. Everyone must cherish this opportunity.

The message service MNS also has a special offer in Alibaba Cloud Double 11 singles day. All news service resource pack purchases are also a 50% discount. In addition, Internet middleware, other high-performance continuous databases for the Internet of Things, real-time monitoring services for services and front-end services, and application configuration services (public beta) for centralized management and push of application configurations in distributed architecture systems are available. Found under the chain of Alibaba Cloud Internet middleware.

The application configuration service is a product that was launched in early October, referred to as ACM. ACM can also be used on EDS. The entire ACM product is

The application configuration service is a product that was launched in early October, referred to as ACM. ACM can also be used on EDS. The entire ACM product is incubated in the EDAS platform, and EDS contains a lot of distributed aspects. As more users are available, users can use a certain feature in a different environment. The entire ACM product also incubates independent products in a specific environment, and helps a wider range of users to solve the functions of distributed configuration management, configuration of shiopy, and configuration of trajectory tracking.