This is the third and last part of Ibexlabs' application modernization series.

Part 1 covered an Introduction to Microservices and why they are significant in today’s SaaS era.

Part 2 explained Serverless Microservices and how they are different from Containerized Serverless Microservices. 

In this article, which is Part 3, we touch upon the growing demand for containerized microservices and how AWS Fargate, a container-as-a-service technology, can help you maximize the benefits of containers.

Learning Objectives

1. Define AWS Fargate
2. Understand the benefits of AWS Fargate
3. Identify why organizations need AWS Fargate
4. Compare the difference between AWS Fargate and AWS EKS
5. Assess AWS Fargate with a real-world use case

Microservices marked a landmark shift in modern application development, especially in terms of scalability. Containerized microservices, however, took that to a brand-new level.

Containerized microservices allowed developers to run isolated microservices in different environments, significantly enhancing portability and efficiency in software development. A survey by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) stated that 92% of respondents reported using containers in cloud application production. With the rising popularity of containerized microservices in 2024 and beyond, the biggest question is: what is the best way to manage and leverage containerized microservices for maximized DevOps efficiency? The short answer is AWS Fargate. 

What is AWS Fargate?

AWS Fargate is a serverless container orchestration technology that simplifies the process of deploying and managing containers by abstracting away the underlying infrastructure. Some aspects of the container lifecycle that AWS Fargate automates are provisioning, deployment, networking, scaling, etc. As a result, with AWS Fargate, developers can focus on building and deploying containerized microservices instead of provisioning or managing underlying servers. 

Here is a list of other benefits offered by AWS Fargate.

• Streamlined microservices operations: It simplifies tasks such as load balancing, service discovery, and rolling updates, streamlining the deployment and operation of microservices. 
• Automated scaling: AWS Fargate automates scaling, ensuring that microservices can dynamically adapt to fluctuating workloads such as varying traffic levels. 
• Better security posture: AWS Fargate provides dedicated resources for each container, ensuring isolation between applications. This enhances security by preventing interference and potential vulnerabilities caused by shared infrastructure.

Why Use AWS Fargate?

While containerized microservices offer many benefits, organizations need a container orchestration service like AWS Fargate to avoid the following challenges. 

• Operational inefficiencies resulting in slower release cycles: In the absence of AWS Fargate, deploying and scaling containerized applications is manual and time-consuming. Developers must take charge of server provisioning, container deployment, installing dependencies, and ensuring the application runs consistently across different environments.
  
  Scaling, too, is a cumbersome process as teams must manually monitor resource usage and decide when and how to scale. Ultimately, organizations deal with operational inefficiencies and slower release cycles.

• Communication bottlenecks and non-dynamic scaling: Without AWS Fargate, orchestrating, discovering, and connecting microservices is also challenging. Teams may need to handle service discovery manually, which can result in communication bottlenecks and hinder dynamic scaling.
  
  For example, a web application with multiple microservices, such as user authentication and data storage, can be deployed on AWS Fargate. The built-in service discovery mechanisms allow these microservices to locate and connect dynamically, facilitating better communication within the application architecture. 

• Increased risk of security vulnerabilities: The next considerable risk is security. Without a serverless computing engine like AWS Fargate, organizations need to implement security measures manually, such as isolating containers and managing access controls. This manual approach increases the risk of misconfigurations and vulnerabilities.
  
  AWS Fargate, on the other hand, has several automated security features to enhance the protection of containerized applications. It ensures the isolation of containers by providing dedicated computing resources for each task, mitigating the risk of interference between applications. Fargate integrates with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for access control, allowing users to define and manage container permissions.
  
  
• Lack of seamless integration: Lastly, without AWS Fargate, organizations may miss the benefits of seamless integration with other cloud-based resources, such as storage, databases, and monitoring tools. For example, AWS Fargate seamlessly integrates with Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), allowing users to configure and customize network settings for their containers. It easily integrates with other AWS services like Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Amazon S3 for storage, and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for access control. This deep integration simplifies tasks such as connecting containers to databases, storing and retrieving data from object storage, and managing access policies.

AWS Fargate vs Amazon EKS: A Comparative Analysis

A common question that most organizations often have is whether they should go for Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) or AWS Fargate, as both are container orchestration services. However, the technologies differ in their underlying architectures and use cases.

Ultimately, the choice between AWS Fargate and Amazon EKS depends on the specific requirements, preferences, and level of control desired by an organization or individual users.

Understanding AWS Fargate With a Case in Point 

To better understand the unique value proposition of AWS Fargate, let's take a real-world case in point.

Consider a company running a complex e-commerce application with multiple microservices.

• Before implementing AWS Fargate, they faced several complexities in manual scaling, resource management, and deployment. Often, the organization over-provisioned resources to ensure peak performance during high-traffic periods, resulting in increased infrastructure costs.
  

• Additionally, managing dependencies and ensuring consistency across different environments was challenging, hindering development and deployment.
  
  
• After implementing AWS Fargate, the company experienced multiple benefits. The serverless nature of AWS Fargate abstracted away infrastructure management, enabling automatic container scaling to handle anticipated high-traffic periods.
  
  
• The outcome was peak performance during high-traffic periods without incurring unnecessary costs. AWS Fargate also simplified the deployment process and service discovery mechanisms, facilitating seamless communication between microservices. 

Conclusion

AWS Fargate has become a pivotal player in reshaping container orchestration. As organizations increasingly shift towards microservices architectures, AWS Fargate emerges as the critical enabler, providing a serverless, automated environment. 

Organizations seeking maximum value from AWS Fargate can also opt for an AWS-managed service provider (MSP). With their specialized knowledge and experience, MSPs enhance the reliability, security, and efficiency of AWS Fargate deployments. 

At Ibexlabs, we offer tailored cloud solutions that align with organizational goals, implement cost-effective strategies, and provide ongoing AWS support. Contact us today, and let us help you elevate your AWS Fargate environment. 

FAQs‍

What is the definition of AWS Fargate?

AWS Fargate is a serverless container orchestration service by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It automates infrastructure management of containerized applications alongside operational tasks such as provisioning, deployment, networking, and scaling.

What challenges does AWS Fargate solve?

AWS Fargate eliminates the need for manual provisioning and management of underlying servers, resulting in faster and more reliable releases, by automating demand-related processes, ensuring optimal resource utilization and cost efficiency.

How does AWS Fargate scale?

AWS Fargate scales automatically based on demand, providing a serverless container orchestration solution. It dynamically adjusts the number of containers when demand increases to handle the workload efficiently.‍

What is the difference between AWS Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and AWS Fargate?

AWS EKS is a managed Kubernetes service where users handle worker nodes, while AWS Fargate is a serverless container service, eliminating the need to manage servers or clusters entirely. Amazon EKS is designed for users who prefer the flexibility and control of Kubernetes, while AWS Fargate offers a serverless experience for those prioritizing ease of use and reduced operational overhead.

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