Microservices Communication Framework: Evaluating gRPC with a Lightweight Service Mesh

Project Overview

This capstone project evaluates the performance and operational trade-offs of implementing gRPC-based microservices with and without a lightweight service mesh (Envoy).

Architecture

• User Service (Port 50051): User management and authentication
• Order Service (Port 50052): Order processing and orchestration
• Payment Service (Port 50053): Payment processing

Project Structure

├── services/                  # Individual microservices
│   ├── user-service/         # User management service
│   ├── order-service/        # Order processing service
│   └── payment-service/      # Payment processing service
├── proto/                    # Protocol buffer definitions
├── pkg/                      # Shared Go packages
├── deployments/              # Deployment configurations
├── scripts/                  # Build and deployment scripts
├── tests/                    # Integration and performance tests
└── docs/                     # Project documentation

Getting Started

1. Install dependencies: go mod tidy
2. Generate protobuf code: ./scripts/generate-proto.sh
3. Run services: docker-compose up --build

Milestones

• Month 1: Core gRPC microservices implementation
• Month 2: Service mesh integration with Envoy
• Month 3: Performance analysis and benchmarking