integration-operator

README

integration-operator

kubernetes operator to integrate deployments

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This operator takes inspiration from Juju Charm Relations by Canonical.

Install

git clone -b tag/v0.1.1 https://github.com/silicon-hills/integration-operator.git
helm install \
   --set name=integration-operator \
   --create-namespace=integration-operator \
   charts/integration-operator

Develop

1. Install the custom resource definitions

make install-crds

1. Start the operator

make start

1. Start apparatuses

   You can find an example apparatus at the link below.

   https://github.com/silicon-hills/example-apparatus

2. Create plugs and sockets

   You can start by taking a look at config/samples.

   kubectl apply -f config/samples
   

Terminology

Term	Juju Equivalent	Definition
Integration	Relation	means to unite and connect applications through mutual communication and shared configuration
Plug	Requires	request from an application to integrate with another application
Socket	Provides	fulfils requests from applications trying to integrate
Interface	Interface	plug and socket schema required to connect
Created Event	Created Event	event triggered when plug or socket created
Updated Event	Changed Event	event triggered when plug or socket updated
Coupled Event	Joined Event	event triggered when applications connected
Decoupled Event	Detached Event	event triggered when applications disconnected

Architecture

A simple analogy

The best way to explain the architecture is to think about how plugs and sockets work in the real world.

Let's say I have a laptop purchased in the United States. In order to power my laptop, I need to integrate it with the power grid. Since the laptop was purchased in the United States, the interface of the plug is Type A as illustrated below.

This means the socket I connect to must be also be Type A.

Now, let's say I travel to India and the only socket available to me is Type D as illustrated below.

Since the socket interface does not match the plug interface, I cannot integrate my laptop with the power grid in India. Of course this can be overcome with converters, but that is beyond the scope of this analogy.

A real example

Let's say I have an express application that needs to integrate with a mongo database. The express deployment will have a plug with a mongo interface and the mongo deployment will have a socket with a mongo interface. If the interface of the socket is a postgres interface then the integration will fail. In other words, you cannot connect a mongo plug to a postgres socket. That would be like trying to plug a US Type A plug into an Indian Type D socket. You can only connect a mongo plug to a mongo socket.

diagram

Below is a UML diagram that shows how plugs, sockets and interfaces wire together.