Microapps: A Covid-19 Case Study

Along Came Covid

Went through the same transition as all of you:

Preparation for remote work
Sheltering in Place and freaking out as a community
How can we help?

No one asks technologists for help any more

We've trained everyone that technology is only a solution for really big problems
We've conditioned everyone that asking for help is an invitation to a thousand questions and no solution
We've taught everyone to fear technology and the people who build it
We've ensured that everyone knows technology is EXPENSIVE so should only be a solution for really big problems

Seems like all I ever get to do is say no.

I have a "gift" from a former team to celebrate my "personality" as the Turtle, always slowing things down and asking lots of questions

my primary skillset as an engineer is saying "it depends" and "it&##39;s more complicated than that" until we all decide computers were a mistake
— brianloveswords (@brianloveswords) August 5, 2020

So Tired of saying no

Let's break out of this pattern, we have the tools and experience to build wonderful solutions to every day problems

Microapps

Web Development with the Microapplication Pattern

-Custom built to solve a problem -Can be developed quickly by trusting in infrastructure and frameworks -Are not "hacks", they are designed to go into production and be stable for years -Can be handed off to another developer instantly (batteries included)

Dreams We've Been Sold

Intranet
Enterprise Service Bus
Content Management Systems

The FutureMight actually be here

So with some trepidation and no little excitement

I asked… how can we help? and surprisingly there was something we could do

Problem: Send A Message Everyday at 4am

Everyday Task

4am email must go out every day
Needs to come from a specific trusted user
Respondents click a link and answer some questions

Not a complicated problem

Exactly the kind of task that used to keep me up at night
If we have to start from scratch it is going to cost WAY more than just hiring a temp to do it

Timeline

Friday 4/10 - First Contact
Monday 4/13 (morning) - Initial Requirements
Monday 4/13 (afternoon) - Test Email Delivered for Approval
Tuesday 4/14 (morning) - Approved for Production Thursday Morning
Tuesday 4/14 (afternoon) - Requirements change, goes out only MWF

I received the email and the links worked. Seems like this is all set, thank you!

Friday 4/17 5am - First Messages Sent Successfully

I just received a request to stop the automated emails. The campus is no longer needing this information.

Friday 5/15 Service No Longer Needed

Sending Email

With Node.js

async function sendReminderEmails(BccAddresses = [], CcAddresses= [], Source) {
  const params = {
    Destination: {
      BccAddresses,
      CcAddresses,
    },
    Message: {
      Body: getEmailBody(),
      Subject: {
        Charset: "UTF-8",
        Data: "Urgent: Completion of GME DAILY Staffing Report Survey"
      }
    },
    Source,
  };
  const ses = new AWS.SES();
  await ses.sendEmail(params).promise();
}

exports.sendReminderEmails = sendReminderEmails;

Sending Email is Difficult to Automate

Problem isn't creating the email, it is delivering it

You need a server to send the message from
If the server doesn't have a relationship with recipients mail may be lost
Sender must be verified or it will get rejected
If you don't get all the details right it goes straight to the SPAM folder

AWS Lambda

"serverless"

lambda description: upload code, create a trigger to run it, only pay for what you use

AWS Simple Email Service (SES)

-API Based Email -No Sendmail Configuration -SPF / DKIM

Delivery Dashboard

Where does the code live?

Where do you physically locate the code?
Will it be safe there if this is running for a year?
Where can other people review / take over the code?
How do changed get into test / production environments
Where does documentation live

Github

GME Github Front Page showing code, issue tracker and documentation

Github Actions

  on:
    push:
      tags:
        - '*'
    deploy:
      steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v1
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v1
        with:
          node-version: 12
      - run: npm ci
      - run: npm run deploy:production

Provides Continuous Integration and Delivery for all Github Repositories
This Action waits to see a new git tag and then deploys our app to production
Super configurable to do a LOT of things:
Run Tests
Deploy Docker Containers
Calculate file size changes
Update Dependencies on Monday Morning
Add labels, notify maintainers, create comments
… basically anything you can automate actions can run

Serverless Framework

serverless.yml

service: gme-daily-resident-staffing-survey
provider:
  name: aws
  runtime: nodejs12.x
  iamRoleStatements:
    - Effect: "Allow"
      Action:
        - SES:SendEmail
      Resource: arn:aws:ses:us-west-2:********:identity/*****

functions:
  send:
    handler: handler.sendEmails
    events:
      - schedule:
          rate: cron(00 12 ? * MON,WED,FRI *) ##UTC
      - schedule:
          rate: rate(15 minutes)
          enabled: false ## manually enable in the console in CloudWatch Events to start sending test Emails
    environment:
      SENDER_ADDRESS: ${self:custom.senderAddress.${self:provider.stage}}
      SENDER_NAME: ${self:custom.senderName.${self:provider.stage}}
      RECIPIENT_ADDRESSES: ${self:custom.recipients.${self:provider.stage}}

Setup a server to run on a schedule
Start up
Run Script
Shut Down
Bill us in 100ms increments, we might spend $20 this year

Something a bit more permanent

Pull data from Qualtrics API
Convert to CSV and Save to S3
Easy to add new surveys
Runs every 15 minutes

Details

Response to an emergency (Missed notifications of Qualtrics API Change)
Discontinuing March 31st
In production April 1st
Complete Documentation
Process for adding new surveys
Automatic deployment of staging and production environments