Introducing Distributed Application Runtime (Dapr)

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiii

   PDF

2. Getting Started

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. Introduction to Microservices

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 3-23

   3. Introduction to Dapr

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 25-49

   4. Getting Up to Speed with Kubernetes

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 51-67

   5. Running Dapr in Kubernetes Mode

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 69-83

   6. Debugging Dapr Applications

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 85-92

3. Building Blocks Overview

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 93-93

      PDF

   2. Service Invocation

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 95-118

   3. Publish and Subscribe

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 119-144

   4. State Management

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 145-158

   5. Resource Bindings

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 159-183

   6. The Actor Model

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 185-213

   7. Secrets

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 215-231

   8. Observability: Logs, Metrics, and Traces

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 233-252

4. Integrations

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 253-253

      PDF

   2. Plugging Middleware

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 255-270

   3. Using Dapr in ASP.NET Core

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 271-281

   4. Using Dapr with Azure Functions

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 283-290

   5. Using Dapr with the Azure Logic Apps Runtime

      • Radoslav Gatev

      Pages 291-296

Use this book to learn the Distributed Application Runtime (Dapr), a new event-driven runtime from Microsoft designed to help developers build microservices applications, using a palette of languages and frameworks that run everywhere: on-premises, in any cloud, and even on the edge.

One of the most popular architectural patterns for implementing large, complex, distributed solutions is the microservices architectural style. Because solutions are composed of services based on various languages, frameworks, and platforms, the more complex and compartmentalized an application becomes, the more considerations a developer has to keep in mind. Much of the time this proves to be difficult.

Introducing Distributed Application Runtime (Dapr) is your guide to achieving more with less through patterns. Part I of the book is about understanding microservices and getting up and running with Dapr, either on your machine or in any Kubernetes cluster. From there you are guided through the concepts of Dapr, how it works, and what it can do for you. You will wrap up with various ways to debug Dapr applications using Visual Studio Code locally, inside a container or Kubernetes. In Part II you will jump into the reusable patterns and practices, the building blocks of Dapr. You will go from service invocation, publish and subscribe, state management, resource bindings, and the Actor model to secrets; each building block is covered in detail in its own dedicated chapter. You will learn what Dapr offers from a functional perspective and also how you can leverage the three pillars of observability (logs, metrics, and traces) in order to gain insight into your applications. In Part III you will explore advanced concepts, including using middleware pipelines, integrating Dapr into web frameworks such as ASP.NET Core, or the runtimes of Azure Logic Apps and Azure Functions.

The book features a multi-versed set of examples that cover not only the plain API of Dapr, but also the .NET SDK. Hence, most of the examples are in .NET 5, with a small number in JavaScript to exemplify the use of multiple languages. Examples show you how to securely use Dapr to leverage a variety of services in Microsoft Azure, including Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Storage, Azure Service Bus, Azure Event Grid, Azure Key Vault, Azure Monitor, and Azure Active Directory among others.

What You Will Learn

• Recognize the challenges and boundaries of microservices architecture
• Host Dapr inside a Kubernetes cluster or as a standalone process
  
• Leverage and use Dapr’s ready-to-use patterns and practices
• Utilize its HTTP/gRPC APIs
• Use Dapr with ASP.NET Core and in .NET applications (with or without the SDK)
• Implement observability for Dapr applications
• Secure Dapr applications
• Integrate Dapr with the runtime of Azure Logic Apps and Azure Functions
• Realize the full potential of Visual Studio Code by using the right extensions that will contribute to a better development experience

Who This Book Is For


Developers and architects who want to utilize a proven set of patterns to help easily implement microservices applications

• Dapr
• Distributed Application Runtime
• Run Logic Apps workflows in Dapr
• microservices
• Microsoft
• Use a service without an SDK
• Loose coupling in microservices
• Best practices using microservices
• Actor model implementation
• Pub Sub without SDK
• .NET
• Kubernetes

• Gorna Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria

  Radoslav Gatev

Radoslav Gatev is a software architect and consultant who specializes in designing and building complex and vast solutions in Microsoft Azure. He helps companies all over the world, ranging from startups to big enterprises, to have high-performant and resilient applications that utilize the cloud in the best and most efficient way possible. Radoslav has been awarded a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for Microsoft Azure for his ongoing contributions to the community in this area. He strives for excellence and enjoyment when working on the bleeding edge of technology and is excited to work with Dapr. He frequently speaks and presents at various conferences and participates in organizing multiple technical conferences in Bulgaria.

Policies and ethics