microservices data sharing solutions

Data silo? trykpowerMicroservice data sharing solution

Have you ever encountered this situation? Data from a certain link on the production line cannot be transmitted to the next work station, or several systems should be linked but work independently. Data is like birds trapped in different cages, visible but not used. This "data island" problem is becoming more and more troublesome in today's pursuit of refinement and automation.

Is there a way to allow data to flow smoothly between different microservices without making the entire system extremely complicated?

What's the problem? Not just technology

Many people’s first reaction is technical bottlenecks. In fact, more often than not, the architectural ideas need to take a turn. The traditional approach is to either stuff all data into a huge central database - which is equivalent to putting all eggs in one basket. The system becomes cumbersome, and if one point fails, the entire system will be paralyzed. Either let the services directly call each other. As a result, the services are tightly coupled, affecting the whole body, and even trying to change something will be scary.

Imagine your robotic arm (servo) and the software module that controls it. If the communication method between them is rigid and you want to adjust a parameter, you may have to stop the entire line, recompile, and test, which is time-consuming and laborious. This is obviously not the flexibility and efficiency we want.

Another way of thinking: let the data “walk” on its own

kpowerThe core idea of ​​microservice data sharing is very simple: decoupling and asynchronous. We no longer emphasize “who asks for data” between services, but instead establish a shared and reliable data circulation layer. Let the data be like parts on the assembly line, automatically and smoothly transferred to where it is needed according to the set route.

How exactly is this done? We generally recommend an event-driven architecture. For example, when your servo motor completes a precise point movement, it not only performs the action, but also generates an "event" - "X coordinate positioning completed". This event is published to a centralized message bus or log. The quality control module or the robot arm controller of the next station that needs this information only needs to subscribe to the event types it cares about. Once events are posted, they are received immediately and processed individually.

In this way, the servo motor module only needs to care about "working and reporting" itself, and has no idea or care about who is listening. Other modules only need to monitor the messages they are interested in. There is no direct connection between them and they are highly independent. If you want to upgrade the motor driver or add a new data analysis service, you only need to let the new service subscribe to relevant events without disturbing the operation of the existing system.

What benefits does this bring? listen to actual sounds

We talked with some partners. After they used similar ideas, what was the most obvious change they felt?

"The system seems to be flexible." A friend in charge of production line integration said. In the past, when one service went down, the chain was broken. Now, even if a certain processing link is temporarily slow or stopped, the event messages will be backlogged in the queue and will be processed after it recovers, without causing the upstream to be stuck. The fault tolerance of the entire system is greatly improved.

"You are so brave to change things." Another engineer responsible for software updates lamented. Now when developing new functions or modifying old modules, as long as the event format convention remains unchanged, you can deploy and test it independently without worrying about accidentally "detonating" other parts. The iteration speed is naturally faster.

Another practical point: the data becomes traceable. All key operations are recorded in the form of events, forming a complete audit log. It is clear at a glance when which device issued what command and what subsequent processing it went through. This is a treasure for troubleshooting problems and processes.

How to start? Don't even think about swallowing it in one gulp

If you think this idea is interesting and want to try it, our suggestion is: start small and find a scenario with obvious pain points to start verifying.

For example, start with the data synchronization between the servo motor and the main control PLC on your line. Don’t start thinking about rebuilding the entire system. First use a simple message middleware (such as open source orkpowerThe lightweight adapter component provided) allows the motor to send out key status events. Then write a small listening service to store the data in the database or display it on the dashboard.

Feel the relief this decoupling brings. See if the data is more timely and the system is more stable. With a successful pilot, you can then copy the experience to other links where data is not smooth, such as between material counting and warehouse management, or between quality inspection and production reports.

You will find that as each "isolated island" is connected by this lightweight data flow, the flexibility and transparency of the entire system are quietly improving. It is no longer a rigid mechanical structure, but more like an organic living body, with all parts working harmoniously and adaptively.

A few words of small talk

After all, technical solutions ultimately serve people. When Kpower does these things, what it thinks about is how to make complex things simple, so that data no longer becomes a chain that restricts your creativity, but becomes the fuel that drives you forward. We have seen too many cases where simple problems are complicated, so we prefer to provide the kind of "just right" - sufficient, stable, easy to understand and manage.

Data sharing is not some mysterious magic. What it may require is a change in thinking and a partner like Kpower who is willing to go deep into your specific scenario and figure out how to make the data flow together. When data flows unimpeded, your equipment, your system, and even your entire productivity may usher in an unexpected and smooth new state.

Established in 2005, Kpower has been dedicated to a professional compact motion unit manufacturer, headquartered in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China. Leveraging innovations in modular drive technology, Kpower integrates high-performance motors, precision reducers, and multi-protocol control systems to provide efficient and customized smart drive system solutions. Kpower has delivered professional drive system solutions to over 500 enterprise clients globally with products covering various fields such as Smart Home Systems, Automatic Electronics, Robotics, Precision Agriculture, Drones, and Industrial Automation.