10 new capabilities in Serverless360

Tags: azure, cloud
Published: 2021-08-10 10:43:28

<p>In recent months, we have made remarkable improvements to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.serverless360.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Serverless360</a></span>. In terms of expanding the technology scope, <strong>Serverless360 has now got capabilities for Web Apps, Web Jobs, and APIM</strong>. Product functionalities have also been enhanced -Explorer View in Composite Application dashboard, Topology diagram for a Composite Application, End to End Tracking, improved Automated Activities are few among the recent developments. This blog will introduce the top <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.serverless360.com/webinars/10-new-gems-in-serverless360" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 new capabilities recently added to Serverless360</a>.</span></p>
<ol>
	<li><strong>Enhanced Composite Applications:</strong></li>

<p>A consulting company manages Serverless solutions of multiple of their customers. The organization needs one platform to manage and monitor all their Serverless applications. The expectations from the monitoring tool would be the following:</p>
<ul>
	<li>The Organization hierarchy needs to be depicted in the application to evaluate the impact of an issue</li>
	<li>The Support team should be well equipped to provide prompt response to their customers</li>
</ul>
<p>Serverless360 can be the one platform solution for Azure Serverless monitoring and management.</p>
	
<ul>
	<li>Illustrate organization structure using hierarchical Composite Applications</li>
	<li>Group multiple Composite Applications into Composite Application Groups which can represent Business Units in your organization</li>
        <img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1.1_Enhanced_CA.jpg" alt="Serverless360 can be the one platform solution for Azure Serverless monitoring and management" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216759" />
	<li>Create a topology diagram that would describe the interaction between the entities. With the status of the entities readily available, diagnose any issue in the business orchestration.</li>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1.2_Enhanced_CA.jpg" alt="Topology diagram that describes the interaction between the entities" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216760" />
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/composite-application-topology" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p>
</ol>
<ol start="2">
<li ><strong>End to End Tracking</strong></li>
<blockquote></strong>Where did the message go? Is the frequent question the support team finds it hard to find an answer for?</blockquote>
<p>Consider the Business orchestration below, for every new order received in the <a href="https://www.serverless360.com/blog/azure-service-bus-queues-vs-topics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Service Bus Queue</a> several parallel processes need to be executed. Each process is defined by a Logic App.</p>
<blockquote>There is a great possibility of this message failing to pass through a stage. What is required is an end to end tracking solution that can clearly figure out which stage did my business transaction fail and why did it fail?</blockquote>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2.1_End_to_End_Tracking.png" alt="End to End Tracking" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216761" />
<p>Serverless360 now lets you define multiple business processes within every Composite Application. Each business process, in turn, can have multiple stages.</p>
<ul>
	<li>Track messages through stages in your Business transaction</li>
	<li>Identify failures at any stage of the business transaction</li>
	<li>Get immediate access to the exception details</li>
	<li>Reprocess the failures to restore the application</li>
	<li>Search for a message</li>
	<li>Save searches for quick access</li>
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/bam-end-to-end-tracking" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2.2_End_to_End_Tracking.jpg" alt="Serverless360 define multiple business processes within every Composite Application" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216762" />
</ol>
<ol start="3">
<li><strong>Correlate Logic App’s resubmitted runs</strong></li>
<p>In an Ecommerce Application, the Logic App defines the complete workflow. It is important to resubmit the failed runs of this Logic App.</p>
<blockquote>Though this is possible through the Azure portal, the challenge is that one cannot find any correlation between the parent runs which are resubmitted and child runs which are resubmitted version of the parent runs.</blockquote>
<p>In real time, it would be required to ignore certain runs from the further investigation.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/3.1_Correleate_Logic_App_run.png" alt="Correlate Logic App’s resubmitted runs" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216763" />
<ul>
<li>Resubmit Log App runs from Serverless360 itself</li>
<li>Get correlation tags automatically added. The parent runs which are being resubmitted will be assigned with ‘Resubmitted’ tag and that child runs which are resubmission of a parent-run would get a tag ‘Resubmission of <run id of the parent run>’</li>
<li>It is also possible to drill down to the input and output binding of a trigger and run actions of each Parent and child runs</li>
<li>If you want to let your team members know, that certain Logic App Runs need to be ignored from further investigation, that is also achievable by adding ‘Ignored’ tags with reason</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/3.2_Correlate_Logic_App_Run.png" alt="Resubmit Log App runs from Serverless360 itself" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216764" />
</ol>
<ol start="4">
	<li><strong>Auto clean old Storage blobs:</strong></li>

<p>Consider Azure Fleet Management System, where client devices send telemetry information to Event Hub. Event Hub captures this data into a Storage blob. Meanwhile, the Event Hub also fires an event to the Event Grid which passes on the event to the On-Premise system, exposed through a Relay. Upon receiving the event, the on-premise system processes the blob data but doesn’t remove.</p>
<blockquote>There is a necessity for an automated system that can clean up the blob data older than 5 days. Hence saving the unnecessary cost spent on processed data.</blockquote>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/4.1_Autoclean_Blob.png" alt="Auto clean old Storage blobs" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216765" />
<ul>
	<li>Serverless360 activities is now extended to process on Storage Blobs</li>
	<li>Create a scheduled activity to auto clean blobs by type which are created/ modified before specified number of days</li>
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/delete-azure-storage-blobs#delete-old-blobs-through-scheduled-activity" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/4.2_Autclean_Blob.png" alt="Serverless360 activities is now extended to process on Storage Blobs" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216767" />
</ol>
<ol start="5">
	<li><strong>Monitor Web Apps:</strong></li>
<p>Consider a Blog portal, the website of which is hosted in an <a href="https://www.serverless360.com/azure-web-apps-monitoring-management" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Azure Web App</a>. Since this website is the Customer facing component of the whole product, it is necessary to monitor the Web App for any errors, its performance, Data Flow and so on.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/5.1_MonitorWebApps.png" alt="5.1_MonitorWebApps"  class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216768" />
<ul>
	<li>Serverless360 Data Monitor can enable monitoring on extensive list of Web App metrics</li>
	<li>The choice of multiple available metrics will enable monitoring Web App for detecting errors, Data Flow, CPU utilization, performance and so on</li>
	<li>Monitor state of Web App in a Status or Threshold monitor</li>
	<li>Auto Correct Web App state to expected state as and when required</li>
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/azure-web-apps-monitoring" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/5.2_Monitor_WebApps.jpg" alt="Monitor Web Apps" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216769" />
</ol>
<ol start="6">
	<li><strong>Manage and monitor Web jobs:</strong></li>
<p>The Blob portal orchestration include a good number of Web Jobs to achieve background triggered and continuous actions. Managing and monitoring them is critical to ensure the system works as expected.</p>
<p><blockquote>One key challenge in managing their state in the Azure portal is that the state of the web job needs to be modified one by one. What is needed here is a capability to select a multiple of them and modify their state at a go.</blockquote></p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/6.1Manage_Monitor_Web_Jobs.png" alt="6.1Manage_Monitor_Web_Jobs" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216770" />
<p>Serverless360 now expands its capabilities to offer management and monitoring for <a href="https://www.serverless360.com/azure-webjobs-monitoring-management" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Azure Web Jobs</a>.</p>
<ul>
	<li>Overcome the challenge in managing Web Job state using Serverless360</li>
	<li>Run multiple of Triggered Web Jobs in similar state</li>
	<li>Start or Stop multiple Continuous Web Jobs in same state</li>
	<li>Monitor the Web Jobs current state against the expected state in a threshold or status monitor</li>
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/azure-webjobs-management" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/6.2_Manage_Monitor_WebJobs.jpg" alt="Serverless360 Data Monitor can enable monitoring on extensive list of Web App metrics" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216771" />
 </ol>
<ol start="7">
	<li><strong>Monitor APIM:</strong></li>
<p>APIM plays a critical role in the orchestration. APIM are typically used to expose web endpoints or Logic App endpoint or Azure Function endpoint.</p>
<p>Check if the APIM is Online without pinging its endpoint. There are additional requirements to monitor it in multiple levels like product, endpoint and operations at various perspectives too.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.serverless360.com/azure-api-monitoring-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Serverless360 monitoring capabilities on APIM </a></span> which can fulfil all the above-mentioned needs</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/7.1_Monitor_APIM.png" alt="Manage and monitor Web jobs" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216772" />
<ul>
	<li>Monitor APIM state using Status or Threshold monitor to check if it is online. This is achieved without pinging the API hence will not incur any additional cost spent on your APIM</li>
	<li>Data Monitor APIM at all possible levels, product, endpoint and operations</li>
	<li>Create data monitor on extensive set of metrics available for products, endpoints and operations to detect unauthorized access, measure performance and so on</li>
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/api-management-products-monitoring" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/7.2_Monitor_APIM.jpg" alt="Serverless360 now expands its capabilities to offer management and monitoring for Web Jobs" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216773" />
</ol>
<ol start="8">
	<li><strong>Save entity properties as Template:</strong></li>
<p>Organization wants to define a standard in Entity definition. Any business application is expected to create entities adhering to this standard. Say all Service Bus queues in the organization is expected to have a predefined property set like Requires Duplicate Detection should be enabled, Time to Live should be set to 10 mins, Partition should be enabled and so on. Since achieving this manually would be time-consuming and prone to errors, need an application in place which can facilitate quick create entities adhering to organization standards.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/8.1_Save_template.png" alt="Save entity properties as Template"  class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216774" />
<ul>
	<li>Serverless360 has now got a new menu added, that would facilitate creating and managing templates which can define the organization standard for entities by type</li>
	<li>Templates can be created from scratch for Service Bus Queues &amp; Topics, Event Hubs and Relays</li>
	<li>It is also possible to save property of an entity of the above-mentioned types into a template</li>
	<li>These templates can be used while creating the entities of similar type</li>
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/save-azure-service-bus-properties-template" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/8.2_Save_Template.png" alt="8.2_Save_Template" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216775" />
</ol>
<ol start="9">
<li><strong>Active message processing Activity:</strong></li>

<p>In the E-commerce Application it is found that certain messages are left behind unprocessed by the Logic App. The requirement here is an automated activity that can pick up the unprocessed messages and move them to another Queue. A Restore system will take care of processing these moved messages. This is expected to happen at regular intervals without any manual intervention.</p> 
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/9.1_Process_Active_Messages.png" alt="Active message processing Activity" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216776" />
<ul>
	<li>Serverless360 now has extended its message processing capabilities to active messages in Service Bus Queues and Topics too</li>
	<li>Create an automated scheduled activity to move those messages left behind unprocessed by the Logic App listening to the Queue</li>
	<li>Activities can now be scheduled in hourly basis too</li>
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/automated-activities" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/9.2_Process_Active_Messages.png" alt="9.2_Process_Active_Messages" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216777" />
</ol>
<ol start="10">
	<li><strong>Auto Correct Entity state:</strong></li>

<p>Consider an e-commerce scenario where the logic app plays a critical role. State of the logic app is expected to be enabled.   If the logic app is disabled for any reason the incoming messages in the service bus queue, the logic app is listening to, would pile up. Once the <strong>Time To Live</strong> value of these messages expire, they move into the dead letter.</p>
<blockquote>The state of the Logic App will indeed impact the status of other entities in the orchestration. Hence it becomes necessary to continuously monitor the state of the logic app and correct as and when required. Manually achieving this might be tedious and prone to errors.</blockquote>
 <p>The threshold monitors in Serverless360 which were detecting violation in the state of entities is now equipped with the auto correct capability to modify the state of the entity and restore the business application to a healthy state without any manual intervention.</p>
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/10.1_AutoCorrect.png" alt="Auto Correct Entity state"  class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216778" />
<ul>
	<li>Turn on auto correct option in a threshold monitor monitoring state of any of the supported Entity types</li>
	<li>Set Max retry count to define how many times Serverless360 is expected to try restoring the state to expected state</li>
</ul>
<p>Read more on this feature <a href="https://docs.serverless360.com/docs/threshold-monitors#auto-correct-state-based-monitors" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>here</a>.</p> 
<img src="https://www.serverless360.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/10.2_AutoCorrect.jpg" alt="10.2_AutoCorrect" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-80216779" />
</ol>
<p>We would love to know you feedback on our<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.serverless360.com/webinars/10-new-gems-in-serverless360" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> 10 new features in Serverless360</a></span>. Please share your feedback at the <a href="http://feedback.serverless360.com/" target="_blank" rel="&quot;noopener noopener noreferrer" noreferrer>Feedback Portal</a>.</p>