A Dashboard For Monitoring Of Online Media Applications : Presenting Microservice Monitoring Data To Non-Developers

Abstract: Microservice architecture is an emerging approach to application development. While the decentralized nature of microservices comes with advantages it also introduces new challenges to monitoring as the graph of interactions between services can be complex. We explore how a dashboard for microservice monitoring can support first-line operators with limited experience in software development and microservice architecture. We apply a participatory design approach and create a prototype in an iterative fashion together with developers, operators and stakeholders. The final prototype is evaluated through a think-aloud protocol and a system usability scale survey. A thematic analysis of the think-aloud renders three prevalent design lessons: (1) automation and context-switches; (2) consistency across views and states; and (3) language differences between developers and operators.