Uncle Sam mulls dumping monolithic software program stacks for modular blocks

The US Division of Labor is dipping its toes right into a radical method to software program structure for the nation’s unemployment insurance coverage (UI) methods: breaking down monolithic software program methods right into a bunch of modular companies. 

Okay, it may be just some years late to the microservices sport, however DoL deputy director of know-how Larry Bafundo mentioned that US states are nonetheless working their UI software program stack in monoliths which are “brittle and rigid” when confronted with stress conditions – like a large inflow of claims because of a pandemic. 

Bafundo mentioned the modernization method championed by the DoL is one which embraces modular software program “the place elements will be managed independently and extra simply changed with new options.” Together with that comes an acceptance that there isn’t any one excellent IT system for every state’s UI stack, so the DoL as a substitute suggests traits by which varied merchandise and approaches will be built-in.

These embody being cloud-based and scalable, constructed round open supply and utilizing agile software program practices, with information analytics capabilities, cross-system integration, and the addition of course of automation code that may “empower, reasonably than change, employees,” he mentioned. So, all of the buzzwords then. 

Efficient modernization includes extra than simply know-how

“Efficient modernization includes extra than simply know-how. It additionally requires a brand new mindset and method to constructing and shopping for know-how that facilities on modernization as a continuing course of and the assumption that IT methods are by no means full,” Bafundo mentioned. 

In a roadmap of its UI modernization program that runs by means of September of this 12 months, the DoL mentioned one of many first strikes is an AI prototyping partnership being launched with Stanford College’s Regulation, Analysis and Governance Lab, or RegLab.

RegLab (no relation) works with authorities companies to modernize their methods. It isn’t instantly clear what the DoL will likely be designing with the assistance of RegLab – the DoL solely mentions the partnership as a technique to discover “efficient and equitable” use instances for the know-how so it may be used to help state staff in streamlining their workflows. 

Um … did we miss a memo?

Nowhere in Bafundo’s weblog are microservices talked about, however his tone and language factors to the transfer, particularly bearing in mind statements like “states ought to undertake modular methods which are straightforward to keep up incrementally, reuse current software program, and combine new options by means of normal interfaces and an API-first method” being highlighted. 

As microservices and APIs have proliferated, organizations have confronted new challenges, like whether or not breaking monolithic software program right into a bunch of smaller elements that each one have to speak to one another through APIs is essentially the most environment friendly possibility. With regards to a bunch of APIs, safety can also be a serious concern. 

Sam Newman, who actually wrote the guide(s) on microservices, mentioned in 2020 that they should not be the default alternative for each new piece of software program as a result of, amongst different causes, so few organizations handle to do it proper. 

Even Amazon is rethinking its dedication to microservices, with a case examine from the Prime Video group reporting that its distributed method monitoring video streams for high quality points was making too many costly calls to an S3 bucket and being bottlenecked by Step Perform limits. 

To get round these points, Amazon mentioned it rebuilt the software program it wanted as a single monolithic course of. 

“Microservices and serverless elements are instruments that do work at excessive scale, however whether or not to make use of them over monolith must be made on a case-by-case foundation. Shifting our service to a monolith lowered our infrastructure price by over 90%. It additionally elevated our scaling capabilities,” AWS mentioned in its paper. 

Builders who responded to the report have been dumbfounded, however the argument nonetheless stands: microservices may not be one of the best resolution for each drawback. Newman mentioned as a lot, noting that monolithic software program does not imply modularity is out of the image. 

“Have you ever carried out some worth chain evaluation? Have you ever checked out the place the bottlenecks are? Have you ever tried modularisation? Microservices ought to be a final resort,” Newman beforehand informed The Register. 

Whichever method finally wins out, the Division of Labor has its work reduce out for it, as a federal company attempting to herd cats – er, states – into adopting new know-how. “Every state additionally has its personal IT system for administering this system, which suggests the convenience of use, effectivity, and effectiveness of various options can differ,” Bafundo mentioned in his weblog submit. 

A brand new unemployment claims consumption platform is deliberate for rollout in New Jersey in August, however there isn’t any phrase when different states will start testing any further methods they’re planning to construct.

We reached out to the DoL to ask some questions on its partnership plans with Stanford, and different facets of its UI modernization plan. The Division confirmed receipt of our questions, however hasn’t but responded; we’ll replace this story once we hear again. ®