Container-based application design
Java EE replatforming challenges
You can face the following challenges when you migrate your Java EE application to a containerized platform in the AWS Cloud:
Disposability – To keep a container "stateless," you might have to store session state in an external database. Container-based applications require a faster, smaller application runtime, and your Java EE application server might not be able to run in the container environment.
Container platform compatibility – You might have to reduce application runtime-specific capabilities, such as clustering, application deployment, and memory replications.
Portability – Container-based applications are deployed by using an application runtime, while traditional Java EE applications are deployed by using application packages (.jar or .war files).
Best practices for container-based application design
We recommend that you follow these best practices when you design your container-based Java EE applications for the AWS Cloud:
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Avoid making changes to your container instance after you created it. If you must make changes, build a new container image and reuse that new image across all environments.
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Avoid storing permanent data inside your container.
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Design your container so that it addresses a single purpose. For information on designing a container that serves multiple purposes, see the Using sidecar injection on Amazon EKS with AWS App Mesh
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Make sure that your container implements all necessary APIs.
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Design your container so that its system requirements are built around CPU usage, system memory, and persistent storage.
For more information on best practices, see Principles of Container-based Application Design
