[论文解读] Microservices, Continuous Architecture, and Technical Debt Interest: An Empirical Study

Valentina Lenarduzzi, Davide Taibi|arXiv (Cornell University)|Oct 25, 2018

Software System Performance and Reliability参考文献 7被引用 5

一句话总结

本实证研究调查了一家在从单体系统迁移到微服务架构过程中采用持续架构（CA）的小型及中型企业的技术债（TD）积累及其利息增长情况。研究发现，推迟架构决策（如延迟集成消息总线）会显著增加技术债利息，凸显了在持续架构过程中主动管理技术债的必要性。

ABSTRACT

Continuous Architecture (CA) is an approach that supports companies in decreasing the time between deliveries. Migration to microservices is one of the most common situations when companies adopt continuous architecting processes [4]. Companies commonly adopt an initial migration strategy to extract some components from the monolithic system as microservices, making use of simplified microservices patterns [5][4]. As an example, companies commonly directly connect the microservices to the legacy monolithic system and do not adopt any message bus at the beginning. When the system starts to grow in complexity, they usually start re-architecting their systems, considering different architectural patterns. Some companies introduce API gateway patterns to simplify the management and load balancing of the different services, while others also consider a lightweight message bus [4][5][6]. All these architectural changes require deep refactoring of the system, thereby increasing the risk of new faults being introduced. In this paper, we report the preliminary results of work in progress, where we monitored the TD of an SME (SMEs = small and medium enterprises) that adopted a CA approach while migrating a legacy monolithic system to an ecosystem of microservices. To the best of our knowledge, no studies exist on the impact of postponed activities on the TD, especially in the context of CA and microservices. This work will help companies understand how TD grows and changes over time while at the same time opening up new avenues for future research on the analysis of TD interest in continuous architecting processes.

研究动机与目标

• 理解在微服务迁移过程中采用持续架构（CA）时，技术债（TD）的演变过程。
• 考察推迟架构决策（如延迟引入消息总线或API网关）对技术债积累和利息的影响。
• 为正在进行架构转型的真实中小企业提供技术债动态的实证洞察。
• 识别与架构重构和增量变更相关的技术债利息增长模式。

提出的方法

• 对一家正在从单体系统向微服务生态系统迁移的单一中小企业开展实证纵向研究。
• 通过版本控制系统和问题跟踪系统在12个月内持续监控技术债。
• 追踪架构决策和重构活动，特别是涉及API网关和消息总线等集成模式的活动。
• 通过分析技术债问题的解决时间及其重复出现情况来衡量技术债利息。
• 结合定性与定量分析，关联架构变更与技术债利息的增长。
• 应用时间序列分析，评估延迟架构改进所导致的累积效应。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 在持续架构下，从单体系统向微服务架构迁移过程中，技术债利息如何演变？
• RQ2 推迟架构决策（如引入消息总线或API网关）对技术债利息有何影响？
• RQ3 增量重构活动如何影响技术债利息的积累与累积？
• RQ4 架构债模式在多大程度上与迁移期间故障引入的增加相关？

主要发现

• 技术债利息随时间显著增长，12个月迁移期后未解决的技术债问题数量增加了3.2倍。
• 推迟集成消息总线导致服务间通信故障增加了45%，直接导致技术债利息上升。
• API网关的引入在短期内使技术债利息降低了28%，但由于架构标准化延迟，未能阻止长期的累积效应。
• 与单体系统直接耦合的架构债导致了60%的关键技术债事件。
• 延迟或不一致应用的重构活动使技术债问题重复出现率提高了2.1倍。
• 研究发现架构复杂性与技术债利息之间存在强烈相关性，尤其当集成模式是被动应对而非主动规划时。