If you’re interested in enhancing agility and scalability in application development, then microservices might just be the key you’ve been looking for. This architectural style structures your application into a collection of cohesive services that are independently deployable and precisely focused. In this blog, we’ll explore mastering microservices using Python, Flask, and Docker.

Getting Started with Microservices

This course offers a practical approach to learning microservices through hands-on experience. You’ll quickly grasp how Flask can be utilized for prototyping and building microservices and how Docker can host and deploy these applications.

Understanding the Project Structure

The project comprises four key components:

• frontend
• user-service
• product-service
• order-service

Microservices Setup and Configuration

To launch the end-to-end microservices application, follow these steps:

Step 1: Navigate to the Frontend

Go to the frontend directory, and check for the presence of the docker-compose.deploy.yml file using the following command:

cd frontend
ls -la

Step 2: Create a Docker Network

Create a new Docker network named micro_network:

docker network create micro_network

Step 3: Build Docker Container Images

Build each of the microservice Docker container images:

docker-compose -f docker-compose.deploy.yml build
docker images

Step 4: Launch the Microservice Environment

Start the microservices application environment:

docker-compose -f docker-compose.deploy.yml up

Step 5: Prepare MySQL Databases

Set up the MySQL databases for each microservice:

for service in corder-service cproduct-service cuser-service; do
  docker exec -it $service flask db init
  docker exec -it $service flask db migrate
  docker exec -it $service flask db upgrade
done

Step 6: Populate the Product Database

Populate the product database:

curl -i -d "name=prod1&slug=prod1&image=product1.jpg&price=100" -X POST localhost:5002/api/product/create
curl -i -d "name=prod2&slug=prod2&image=product2.jpg&price=200" -X POST localhost:5002/api/product/create

Step 7: Register a User

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:5000/register

Step 8: Verify User Registration

Utilize the MySQL client to confirm that a new user registration record exists:

mysql --host=127.0.0.1 --port=32000 --user=cloudacademy --password=pfm_2020
SHOW DATABASES;
USE user;
SHOW TABLES;
SELECT * FROM user;
EXIT;

Step 9: Login and Checkout

Log in through your browser and add products to your cart:

http://localhost:5000/login

Step 10: Confirm New Order

Verify that a new order was created using the MySQL client:

mysql --host=127.0.0.1 --port=32002 --user=cloudacademy --password=pfm_2020
SHOW DATABASES;
USE order;
SHOW TABLES;
SELECT * FROM order.order;
SELECT * FROM order.order_item;
EXIT;

Tearing Down Microservices

To dismantle the microservices environment, follow these steps:

Step 1: Stop and Remove Containers

for container in cuser-service cproduct-service corder-service cproduct_dbase cfrontend-app cuser_dbase corder_dbase; do
  docker stop $container
  docker rm $container
done

Step 2: Remove Container Volumes

for vol in frontend_orderdb_vol frontend_productdb_vol frontend_userdb_vol; do
  docker volume rm $vol
done

Step 3: Remove the Docker Network

docker network rm micro_network

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during the setup or operation of your microservices, here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Ensure Docker is installed and running.
• Verify that the required ports are not blocked or in use.
• Double-check your connection details for MySQL.
• Consult the logs for any specific errors using docker-compose logs.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Conclusion

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.

Python Extensions Used

The following Python extensions were utilized in this project:

• Flask-SQLAlchemy
• Flask-Login
• Flask-Migrate
• Requests