CloudHub 2.0 for CloudHub 1.0 Users

 

What is MuleSoft CloudHub?

MuleSoft CloudHub is a fully managed cloud service that hosts the Mule runtime engine, enabling the deployment and management of APIs and integrations in a cloud environment. The recent update, known as CloudHub 2.0, brings significant improvements to application performance and scalability. It leverages lightweight container-based isolation and offers a streamlined deployment experience for cloud-based applications.

Key Features of CloudHub 2.0:

1. Containerized Integration Platform:

   • Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS): Deploy APIs and integrations as lightweight containers in the cloud, ensuring efficient resource utilization and improved performance.

2. Enhanced Performance and Scalability:

   • Clustering and Replica Scale-Out: CloudHub 2.0 introduces the concept of clustering, allowing applications to leverage replica scale-out for horizontal scalability and increased reliability. This was not possible in CloudHub 1.0, which relied on load balancers and multiple worker deployments for reliability.

3. Granular Resource Allocation:

• Flexible vCore Assignments: Applications can now be assigned a more granular range of vCores (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4 vCores), providing more precise control over resource allocation based on the specific needs of the application. This is an improvement over CloudHub 1.0, where the jump was from 0.2 to 1 vCore.

Getting Started with CloudHub:

For those new to MuleSoft Runtime, deploying applications directly to CloudHub 2.0 offers a simplified and optimized cloud experience. Key benefits include:

• Clustering Option: Enable clustering to achieve horizontal scalability and reliability.
• Granular Resource Capacity: Assign specific vCore levels to better match application processing power requirements.

CloudHub 2.0 represents a significant advancement in MuleSoft’s cloud offerings, providing a more efficient, scalable, and user-friendly environment for deploying and managing APIs and integrations in the cloud.

Why Deploy Applications on CloudHub 2.0?

Deploying applications on MuleSoft CloudHub 2.0 offers numerous benefits, making it an attractive choice for organizations seeking advanced integration solutions:

1. Global Reach:

   • 12 Global Regions: Deploy runtime across 12 different regions globally, ensuring low latency and high availability.

2. Elastic Transaction Support:

   • Dynamic Scaling: Automatically scale infrastructure and services up or down to accommodate varying transaction volumes, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency.

3. Containerized Isolation:

   • Lightweight Isolation: Each Mule instance and service runs as a separate container, providing a standardized, lightweight isolation boundary for improved security and resource management.

4. Innovation and Development:

   • Forward-Thinking Design: CloudHub 2.0 is designed to accelerate development and foster innovation, making it easier to build and deploy new features.

5. Built-In Security:

• Inherent Security Measures: Services and sensitive data are protected through encrypted secrets, firewall limitations, and controlled shell access, ensuring robust security.

Features Exclusive to CloudHub 2.0

CloudHub 2.0 introduces several features that were not available in CloudHub 1.0, enhancing scalability, security, and flexibility:

1. Scalable Web Applications:

   • Effortless Expansion: Easily scale web applications to meet increased demand, providing better performance and user experience.

2. Multiple Trust Stores:

   • Secure Communication: Support for multiple trust stores enables secure mutual TLS communication with client certificates.

3. Multiple Custom Endpoints:

   • Flexible Integrations: Configure multiple custom endpoints to tailor integrations to specific needs.

4. Load Balancer Logs:

   • Traffic Visibility: Detailed load balancer logs offer insights into integration traffic, aiding in monitoring and troubleshooting.

5. VPC and VPN (Private Space):

   • Secure Connectivity: Connect securely to Virtual Private Clouds (VPC) and Virtual Private Networks (VPN) for private communication (available in Private Space only).

6. Outbound Firewall Rules:

   • Data Security: Enhance data security with outbound firewall rules to control traffic (available in Private Space only).

7. Static IP Addresses:

   • Consistent Communication: Use static IP addresses to ensure consistent communication with external systems (available in Private Space only).

8. Mule Clustering:

• Reliability and Fault Tolerance: Improve the reliability and fault tolerance of applications with Mule clustering, providing higher availability and resilience.

CloudHub 2.0: Speed and Flexibility

CloudHub 2.0 enhances the deployment and performance of MuleSoft applications with its rapid deployment capabilities and robust set of features. Key benefits include:

1. Rapid Deployment:

   • High Speed: CloudHub 2.0 significantly improves application performance, enabling quick deployment and scaling to meet the demands of modern businesses.

2. Anypoint Exchange Integration:

   • Centralized Management: All applications and APIs must be published in Anypoint Exchange, streamlining access and management within the MuleSoft ecosystem.
   • Reusable Assets: Facilitates the reuse of integration assets, promoting efficiency and consistency across projects.

3. Advanced VPN Capabilities:

   • Multiple VPNs: CloudHub 2.0 supports the definition of multiple Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), enhancing secure communication between applications and on-premise systems.
   • Robust Isolation: Provides robust application isolation, ensuring that applications run securely and independently.

4. Customizable Rules:

   • Custom Rules: Offers the freedom to establish customized rules for security, connectivity, and data handling, allowing organizations to tailor the platform to their specific needs.

5. Enhanced Security and Management:

• Security Features: Includes built-in security measures such as encrypted secrets, firewall limitations, and controlled shell access, safeguarding services and sensitive data.
• Application Isolation: Ensures that each application operates within its own secure environment, reducing the risk of cross-contamination and enhancing overall security.

Differences in CloudHub 2.0 Infrastructure Compared to CloudHub 1.0

1. VPC and Connectivity:

• No VPC Peering and Direct Connect: In CloudHub 2.0, VPC peering and direct connect are replaced by transit gateway attachments. This allows for more flexible and scalable connectivity options.
• Transit Gateway Attachments: If a private space with an attached transit gateway is deleted, the transit gateway remains intact and can be reattached to another private space, ensuring connectivity is preserved.

2. Application Deployment and Movement:

• Region-Specific Deployment: Applications deployed in one region cannot be moved to another region directly. To change regions, the application must be redeployed to a different shared or private space in the desired region.
• Ports for Traffic: HTTP and HTTPS traffic in CloudHub 2.0 uses port 8081, standardizing communication protocols.

Migration from CloudHub 1.0 to CloudHub 2.0: Key Points

1. Runtime Compatibility:

• Supported Versions: CloudHub 2.0 only supports Mule runtime versions 4.3.0 and above, ensuring that newer features and security enhancements are available.

2. Notification and Plugins:

• Custom Notifications: These are no longer supported in CloudHub 2.0, necessitating alternative notification mechanisms.
• Mule Maven Plugin: Versions must be 3.7.1 or above. If existing CloudHub 1.0 applications use an older version, they need to be updated to be compatible with CloudHub 2.0.

3. Migration Process:

• Manual Migration: There are no automated tools for migrating applications from CloudHub 1.0 to CloudHub 2.0. The migration process must be handled manually, involving redeployment and configuration adjustments.
• Persistent Queues: Applications using persistent queues in CloudHub 1.0 need to transition to Anypoint MQ or other supported broker MQs in CloudHub 2.0 to maintain message durability and reliability.

Summary

CloudHub 2.0 offers enhanced infrastructure capabilities and flexibility compared to CloudHub 1.0, focusing on scalability and modern connectivity options like transit gateways. However, the migration to CloudHub 2.0 involves several key considerations, including updating runtimes, plugins, and adjusting for the lack of custom notifications and persistent queues. These changes ensure that applications running on CloudHub 2.0 are more secure, scalable, and better integrated into the modern MuleSoft ecosystem.