Development Guide

Linqra Sample Inventory Service

View the complete sample service implementation with CRUD operations and service-to-service communication.

Linqra Sample Product Service

View the sample product service implementation with REST endpoints for product management and integration with other microservices.

Creating Custom Microservices

This guide demonstrates how to create and configure new microservices that integrate with the Linqra platform. We’ll use the “Inventory Service” as a reference implementation.

Project Structure

A typical Linqra microservice follows this structure:

my-service/
├── pom.xml                     # Maven project configuration
└── src/
    └── main/
        ├── java/
        │   └── org/
        │       └── lite/
        │           └── myservice/
        │               ├── MyServiceApplication.java   # Main application class
        │               └── config/
        │                   └── EurekaClientConfig.java # Service discovery config
        └── resources/
            └── application.yml # Service configuration

Creating a New Microservice

Let’s walk through creating the Inventory Service example:

1. Set Up Project Structure

Create the directories shown below:

LINQRA_INVENTORY_SERVICE/
├── pom.xml
└── src/
    └── main/
        ├── java/
        │   └── org/
        │       └── lite/
        │           └── inventory/
        │               ├── InventoryServiceApplication.java
        │               └── config/
        │                   └── EurekaClientConfig.java
        └── resources/
            └── application.yml

2. Configure Maven Dependencies

Create a pom.xml with the necessary dependencies:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <groupId>org.lite.inventory</groupId>
    <artifactId>inventory-service</artifactId>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>

    <parent>
        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
        <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
        <version>3.3.3</version>
        <relativePath/>
    </parent>

    <properties>
        <java.version>21</java.version>
        <maven.compiler.source>21</maven.compiler.source>
        <maven.compiler.target>21</maven.compiler.target>
        <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
        <spring-cloud.version>2023.0.3</spring-cloud.version>
    </properties>

    <dependencyManagement>
        <dependencies>
            <dependency>
                <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-cloud-dependencies</artifactId>
                <version>${spring-cloud.version}</version>
                <type>pom</type>
                <scope>import</scope>
            </dependency>
        </dependencies>
    </dependencyManagement>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
          <groupId>org.projectlombok</groupId>
          <artifactId>lombok</artifactId>
          <version>1.18.34</version>
          <scope>provided</scope>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-security</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-oauth2-client</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-oauth2-resource-server</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-netflix-eureka-client</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.cloud</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-cloud-starter-circuitbreaker-reactor-resilience4j</artifactId>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
            <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
</project>

3. Create Main Application Class

Create the main application class InventoryServiceApplication.java:

package org.lite.inventory;

import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;

@SpringBootApplication
public class InventoryServiceApplication {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(InventoryServiceApplication.class, args);
    }
}

4. Configure Service Discovery

Create EurekaClientConfig.java to enable service discovery:

package org.lite.inventory.config;

import org.springframework.cloud.client.discovery.EnableDiscoveryClient;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

@Configuration
@EnableDiscoveryClient
public class EurekaClientConfig {
}

5. Configure Application Properties

Create application.yml with necessary settings:

spring:
  application:
    name: inventory-service
  security:
    oauth2:
      resourceserver:
        jwt:
          issuer-uri: http://${KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_URL:localhost}:${KEYCLOAK_CLIENT_PORT:8281}/realms/Linqra
server:
  port: 0
  http2:
    enabled: true
  ssl:
    enabled: true
    key-store: ${CLIENT_KEY_STORE}
    key-store-password: ${CLIENT_KEY_STORE_PASSWORD}
    key-alias: ${CLIENT_ALIAS_NAME:client-app}
    key-store-type: PKCS12
    trust-store: ${CLIENT_TRUST_STORE}
    trust-store-password: ${CLIENT_TRUST_STORE_PASSWORD}
    trust-store-type: JKS
    client-auth: want
  servlet:
    context-path: /inventory-service

gateway:
  base-url: https://${GATEWAY_SERVICE_URL:localhost}:7777

logging:
  file:
    name: logs/inventory-service.log
  level:
    root: INFO
    org.springframework.security: DEBUG
    org.springframework.web: DEBUG
    org.springframework.web.reactive.function.client: DEBUG
    org.springframework.security.oauth2.client: DEBUG
    org.springframework.cloud.gateway: TRACE
    org.springframework.cloud.loadbalancer: TRACE
    org.springframework.cloud.gateway.route.RouteDefinitionLocator: INFO

eureka:
  client:
    service-url:
      defaultZone: https://${EUREKA_CLIENT_URL:localhost}:8761/eureka
    enabled: true
    register-with-eureka: true
    fetch-registry: true
  instance:
    hostname: ${EUREKA_INSTANCE_URL:localhost}
    instance-id: ${spring.application.name}:${instanceId:${random.value}}
    non-secure-port-enabled: false
    secure-port-enabled: true
    secure-port: ${server.port}

Run Configuration in IntelliJ

1. VM Options Configuration

Set the following VM options:

-Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=/Users/mehmetsen/IdeaProjects/Linqra/keys/client-truststore.jks
-Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword=123456

Inventory Service VM Options Configuration

2. Environment Variables

Set the following environment variables:

CLIENT_KEY_STORE=/Users/mehmetsen/IdeaProjects/Linqra/keys/client-keystore.jks
CLIENT_KEY_STORE_PASSWORD=123456
CLIENT_TRUST_STORE=/Users/mehmetsen/IdeaProjects/Linqra/keys/client-truststore.jks
CLIENT_TRUST_STORE_PASSWORD=123456

Remember to adjust the paths according to your actual project location.

Verifying Service Registration

After starting your service, verify that it has registered with Eureka by accessing the Eureka dashboard at https://localhost:8761/. You should see your service listed in the “Instances currently registered with Eureka” section:

A successful registration means:

Your service shows as “UP” in the Status column
It appears with a unique instance ID
The API-GATEWAY service is also registered and running

If you see an emergency message about renewals, don’t be alarmed. This often appears during development when services are frequently started and stopped. As long as your service shows “UP”, it is properly registered.

Extending Your Microservice

Let’s extend our inventory service with additional components:

Updated Project Structure

After adding the controller and model classes, your project structure should look like this:

LINQRA_INVENTORY_SERVICE/
├── pom.xml
└── src/
    └── main/
        ├── java/
        │   └── org/
        │       └── lite/
        │           └── inventory/
        │               ├── InventoryServiceApplication.java
        │               ├── config/
        │               │   └── EurekaClientConfig.java
        │               ├── controller/
        │               │   └── HealthController.java
        │               └── model/
        │                   └── HealthStatus.java
        └── resources/
            └── application.yml

Adding Health Monitoring

1. Create Health Model

Create the HealthStatus.java class in the model package:

package org.lite.inventory.model;

import lombok.Data;

import java.time.Instant;
import java.util.Map;

@Data
public class HealthStatus {
    private String serviceId;        // Service identifier
    private String status;           // Current health status (UP/DOWN)
    private String uptime;           // Service uptime
    private Instant timestamp;       // Current timestamp
    private Map<String, Double> metrics;  // Performance metrics
}

2. Create Health Controller

Create the HealthController.java class in the controller package:

package org.lite.inventory.controller;

import org.lite.inventory.model.HealthStatus;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.GetMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;

import java.lang.management.ManagementFactory;
import java.lang.management.MemoryMXBean;
import java.time.Duration;
import java.time.Instant;
import java.time.LocalDateTime;
import java.time.ZoneId;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/health")
public class HealthController {

    @Value("${spring.application.name}")
    private String applicationName;
    
    private final Instant startTime = Instant.now();

    @GetMapping
    public ResponseEntity<HealthStatus> getHealthStatus() {
        HealthStatus status = new HealthStatus();
        status.setServiceId(applicationName);
        status.setStatus("UP");
        status.setTimestamp(Instant.now());
        
        // Calculate uptime
        Duration uptime = Duration.between(startTime, Instant.now());
        long days = uptime.toDays();
        long hours = uptime.toHoursPart();
        long minutes = uptime.toMinutesPart();
        long seconds = uptime.toSecondsPart();
        status.setUptime(String.format("%d days, %d hours, %d minutes, %d seconds", 
                                      days, hours, minutes, seconds));
        
        // Add system metrics
        Map<String, Double> metrics = new HashMap<>();
        MemoryMXBean memoryBean = ManagementFactory.getMemoryMXBean();
        long usedHeapMemory = memoryBean.getHeapMemoryUsage().getUsed();
        long maxHeapMemory = memoryBean.getHeapMemoryUsage().getMax();
        
        metrics.put("heapUsed", (double) usedHeapMemory / (1024 * 1024)); // MB
        metrics.put("heapMax", (double) maxHeapMemory / (1024 * 1024)); // MB
        metrics.put("heapUtilization", (double) usedHeapMemory / maxHeapMemory * 100); // percentage
        metrics.put("availableProcessors", (double) Runtime.getRuntime().availableProcessors());
        
        status.setMetrics(metrics);
        
        return ResponseEntity.ok(status);
    }
}

Integration with API Gateway

The API Gateway will automatically communicate with your service’s health endpoint if health checking is enabled. The /api/health endpoint will return detailed information about your service’s health status, including:

Service identifier
Current status (UP/DOWN)
Service uptime
Current timestamp
Performance metrics like heap usage and CPU information

This allows the API Gateway to make intelligent routing decisions and implement circuit breaking if your service experiences issues.

Since we’re using dynamic port allocation (server.port: 0), you’ll need to check the Eureka dashboard or your service logs to determine the assigned port.

Best Practices for Controllers

When building REST APIs in your microservice:

Use Proper Request Mapping: Prefix all endpoints with /api/{resource} for consistency
Return Appropriate Status Codes:
- 200 OK for successful operations
- 201 Created for resource creation
- 204 No Content for successful operations with no response body
- 400 Bad Request for client errors
- 404 Not Found when resources don’t exist
- 500 Internal Server Error for server errors
Validation: Add validation to request models using annotations like @Valid and constraint annotations
Exception Handling: Create a global exception handler to provide consistent error responses
Documentation: Use Swagger/OpenAPI annotations to document your API endpoints

Enhancing Security Configuration

Let’s extend our microservice with proper security configuration to validate JWT tokens and implement mutual TLS (mTLS) authentication.

Updated Project Structure

After adding the security components, your project structure should look like this:

LINQRA_INVENTORY_SERVICE/
├── pom.xml
└── src/
    └── main/
        ├── java/
        │   └── org/
        │       └── lite/
        │           └── inventory/
        │               ├── InventoryServiceApplication.java
        │               ├── config/
        │               │   ├── EurekaClientConfig.java
        │               │   └── SecurityConfig.java
        │               ├── controller/
        │               │   └── HealthController.java
        │               ├── filter/
        │               │   └── JwtRoleValidationFilter.java
        │               └── model/
        │                   └── HealthStatus.java
        └── resources/
            └── application.yml

Security Implementation

1. JWT Role Validation Filter

Create a filter to validate JWT tokens and check for required roles:

package org.lite.inventory.filter;

import jakarta.servlet.FilterChain;
import jakarta.servlet.ServletException;
import jakarta.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import jakarta.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
import org.springframework.lang.NonNull;
import org.springframework.security.core.context.SecurityContextHolder;
import org.springframework.security.oauth2.jwt.Jwt;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
import org.springframework.web.filter.OncePerRequestFilter;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

@Component
@Slf4j
public class JwtRoleValidationFilter extends OncePerRequestFilter {

    @Override
    protected void doFilterInternal(@NonNull HttpServletRequest request,
                                    @NonNull  HttpServletResponse response,
                                    @NonNull  FilterChain filterChain) throws ServletException, IOException {

        // Retrieve the JWT token from the security context
        var authentication = SecurityContextHolder.getContext().getAuthentication();

        if (authentication != null && authentication.getPrincipal() instanceof Jwt jwt) {
            // Log the JWT token for debugging purposes
            log.info("JWT Token: {}", jwt.getTokenValue());
            // Log roles for debugging
            List<String> realmRoles = (List<String>) jwt.getClaimAsMap("realm_access").get("roles");
            log.info("Realm Roles: {}", realmRoles);

            Map<String, Object> resourceAccess = jwt.getClaimAsMap("resource_access");
            log.info("Client Roles: {}", resourceAccess);

            if (hasRequiredRole(jwt)) {
                filterChain.doFilter(request, response); // Continue the request processing
            } else {
                response.setStatus(HttpServletResponse.SC_FORBIDDEN); // Return 403 Forbidden if role check fails
            }
        } else {
            //It's up to you which line do you want to enable, the latter one is more secure, as you don't force the call to use a jwt token
            //filterChain.doFilter(request, response); // No JWT token, continue request processing, i.e. calling the GET from browser
            response.setStatus(HttpServletResponse.SC_FORBIDDEN); // Return 403 Forbidden if role check fails, you are forcing to use the token
        }
    }

    //We force both realm and resource roles to exist in the token
    private boolean hasRequiredRole(Jwt jwt) {
        // Check realm roles
        Map<String, Object> realmAccess = jwt.getClaimAsMap("realm_access");
        boolean hasRealmRole = false;
        if (realmAccess != null) {
            List<String> realmRoles = (List<String>) realmAccess.get("roles");
            if (realmRoles != null && realmRoles.contains("gateway_admin_realm")) {
                hasRealmRole = true;
            }
        }

        // Check client roles for lite-mesh-gateway-client
        boolean hasClientRole = false;
        Map<String, Object> resourceAccess = jwt.getClaimAsMap("resource_access");
        if (resourceAccess != null && resourceAccess.containsKey("linqra-gateway-client")) {
            Map<String, List<String>> clientRoles = (Map<String, List<String>>) resourceAccess.get("linqra-gateway-client");
            if (clientRoles.get("roles").contains("gateway_admin")) {
                hasClientRole = true;
            }
        }

        // Both roles must be present
        return hasRealmRole && hasClientRole;
    }
}

2. Security Configuration

Create the SecurityConfig.java class to configure Spring Security:

package org.lite.inventory.config;

import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
import org.lite.inventory.filter.JwtRoleValidationFilter;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.security.config.Customizer;
import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.builders.HttpSecurity;
import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.EnableWebSecurity;
import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configurers.AbstractHttpConfigurer;
import org.springframework.security.web.SecurityFilterChain;


@Configuration
@EnableWebSecurity
@AllArgsConstructor
@Slf4j
public class SecurityConfig {

    //It will be called even though you don't use it here, so don't remove it
    private final JwtRoleValidationFilter jwtRoleValidationFilter;

    @Bean
    public SecurityFilterChain filterChain(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception {

        http
                .x509(x509 -> x509
                        .x509PrincipalExtractor((principal -> { //Enable mTLS (client certificate authentication)
                                    // Extract the CN from the certificate (adjust this logic as needed)
                                    String dn = principal.getSubjectX500Principal().getName();
                                    log.info("dn: {}", dn);
                                    String cn = dn.split(",")[0].replace("CN=", "");
                                    return cn;  // Return the Common Name (CN) as the principal
                                })
                        ))
                .csrf(AbstractHttpConfigurer::disable)
                .authorizeHttpRequests(authorize -> authorize
                                .requestMatchers("/inventory-service/**")//no matter what you put here, if we have the gateway token from oauth2ResourceServer, we'll be authenticated
                                .permitAll()  // Public endpoints (if any)
                                .anyRequest()
                                .authenticated()
                )
                .oauth2ResourceServer(oauth2-> {  // Enable OAuth2-based authentication (via JWT tokens)
                    oauth2.jwt(Customizer.withDefaults());
                });

        return http.build();
    }
}

Understanding the Security Architecture

Dual Authentication Mechanism

Our microservice uses two authentication mechanisms:

JWT Token Validation
- OAuth2 Resource Server configuration authenticates JWT tokens from Keycloak
- JwtRoleValidationFilter validates that tokens contain required roles:
  - Realm role: gateway_admin_realm
  - Client role: gateway_admin (for the linqra-gateway-client)
- These roles were configured in Keycloak as described in the Keycloak Configuration documentation
Mutual TLS (mTLS)
- SSL configuration in application.yml enables client authentication (client-auth: want)
- X509 configuration extracts the Common Name (CN) from client certificates
- This enables secure service-to-service communication with certificate-based authentication

Authorization Flow

When a request arrives, the JWT token is validated for proper signatures and expiration
Our custom JwtRoleValidationFilter checks for the presence of required roles
If mTLS is enabled, client certificates are also validated
If all checks pass, the request is processed; otherwise, a 403 Forbidden response is returned

Testing Security Configuration

To test with a valid JWT token, you need to:

Obtain a token from Keycloak using the client credentials grant type
Include the token in the Authorization header of your requests:
Authorization: Bearer <your-jwt-token>

The security configuration demands both proper JWT tokens and valid certificates. Make sure your API Gateway is correctly configured to pass these credentials to your microservice.

Creating REST API Controllers and Intercommunication

Before implementing business logic, let’s set up proper service-to-service communication and create our main API controller.

Updated Project Structure

After adding these components, your project structure will look like this:

LINQRA_INVENTORY_SERVICE/
├── pom.xml
└── src/
    └── main/
        ├── java/
        │   └── org/
        │       └── lite/
        │           └── inventory/
        │               ├── InventoryServiceApplication.java
        │               ├── config/
        │               │   ├── EurekaClientConfig.java
        │               │   ├── RestTemplateConfig.java
        │               │   └── SecurityConfig.java
        │               ├── controller/
        │               │   ├── HealthController.java
        │               │   └── InventoryController.java
        │               ├── filter/
        │               │   └── JwtRoleValidationFilter.java
        │               ├── interceptor/
        │               │   └── ServiceNameInterceptor.java
        │               └── model/
        │                   ├── HealthStatus.java
        │                   ├── InventoryItem.java
        │                   ├── ProductAvailabilityResponse.java
        │                   └── ProductInfo.java
        └── resources/
            └── application.yml

Service Identification in Communication

1. Create Service Interceptor

The ServiceNameInterceptor adds a service identifier to all outgoing REST calls, which helps with logging, debugging, and request tracing:

package org.lite.inventory.interceptor;

import org.springframework.http.HttpRequest;
import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpRequestExecution;
import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpRequestInterceptor;
import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpResponse;
import org.springframework.lang.NonNull;

import java.io.IOException;

public class ServiceNameInterceptor implements ClientHttpRequestInterceptor {

    @Override
    public @NonNull ClientHttpResponse intercept(HttpRequest request, @NonNull byte[] body, ClientHttpRequestExecution execution) throws IOException {
        request.getHeaders().add("X-Service-Name", "inventory-service"); // Add the service name
        return execution.execute(request, body);
    }
}

2. Configure RestTemplate

Create a RestTemplateConfig class to set up a pre-configured RestTemplate with our interceptor:

package org.lite.inventory.config;

import org.lite.inventory.interceptor.ServiceNameInterceptor;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpRequestInterceptor;
import org.springframework.http.converter.json.MappingJackson2HttpMessageConverter;
import org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

@Configuration
public class RestTemplateConfig {

    @Bean
    public RestTemplate restTemplate() {
        RestTemplate restTemplate = new RestTemplate();

        // Configure a Jackson message converter that supports application/octet-stream
        MappingJackson2HttpMessageConverter converter = new MappingJackson2HttpMessageConverter();
        converter.setSupportedMediaTypes(List.of(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON, MediaType.APPLICATION_OCTET_STREAM));

        // Add converter to RestTemplate
        restTemplate.getMessageConverters().add(converter);

        // Add the interceptor
        List<ClientHttpRequestInterceptor> interceptors = new ArrayList<>(restTemplate.getInterceptors());
        interceptors.add(new ServiceNameInterceptor());
        restTemplate.setInterceptors(interceptors);

        return restTemplate;
    }
}

3. Create Main Controller

Create a skeleton for the InventoryController that will house our business logic endpoints:

package org.lite.inventory.controller;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RestController;
import org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate;

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/inventory")
public class InventoryController {

    private final RestTemplate restTemplate;

    @Autowired
    public InventoryController(RestTemplate restTemplate) {
        this.restTemplate = restTemplate;
    }

    // API endpoints will be implemented in subsequent sections
}

Understanding the Intercommunication Architecture

Service Identification

Every microservice in the Linqra ecosystem should identify itself in communications with other services. This provides several benefits:

Request Tracing: The source of each request is clearly identified in logs
Debugging: Makes troubleshooting complex service interactions easier
Auditing: Allows for proper auditing of service-to-service communication
Access Control: Enables service-specific access policies

RestTemplate Configuration

Our RestTemplateConfig provides:

Media Type Support: Handles both JSON and binary data
Service Identity: Automatically adds the service name to all outgoing requests
Centralized Configuration: One place to add any future interceptors or converters

Building RESTful APIs

When implementing the InventoryController, follow these patterns for standard CRUD operations:

GET (Retrieve)

@GetMapping("/{id}")
public ResponseEntity<Item> getItem(@PathVariable Long id) {
    // Implementation
    return ResponseEntity.ok(item);
}

POST (Create)

@PostMapping
public ResponseEntity<Item> createItem(@Valid @RequestBody ItemRequest request) {
    // Implementation
    return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.CREATED).body(createdItem);
}
```#### PUT (Update)
```java
@PutMapping("/{id}")
public ResponseEntity<Item> updateItem(@PathVariable Long id, @Valid @RequestBody ItemRequest request) {
    // Implementation
    return ResponseEntity.ok(updatedItem);
}

DELETE (Remove)

@DeleteMapping("/{id}")
public ResponseEntity<Void> deleteItem(@PathVariable Long id) {
    // Implementation
    return ResponseEntity.noContent().build();
}

Service-to-Service Communication Example

When your service needs to communicate with another microservice, use the injected RestTemplate:

@GetMapping("/dependent-data")
public ResponseEntity<DependentData> getDependentData() {
    String url = "https://other-service/api/resource";
    
    // The ServiceNameInterceptor will automatically add the X-Service-Name header
    ResponseEntity<DependentData> response = restTemplate.getForEntity(url, DependentData.class);
    
    return ResponseEntity.status(response.getStatusCode()).body(response.getBody());
}

Security Considerations for APIs

When implementing API endpoints, keep these security considerations in mind:

Input Validation: Always validate incoming data with @Valid annotations
Authentication Checks: Ensure endpoints check for appropriate authentication
Authorization Logic: Implement fine-grained authorization in service methods
Rate Limiting: Consider adding rate limiting for high-traffic endpoints
Sensitive Data: Never expose sensitive data in responses

Implementing Business Logic with REST Controllers

Let’s finalize our Inventory Service by implementing a fully functional controller with CRUD operations and inter-service communication.

Updated Project Structure

After adding all the business logic components, your project structure will look like this:

LINQRA_INVENTORY_SERVICE/
├── pom.xml
└── src/
    └── main/
        ├── java/
        │   └── org/
        │       └── lite/
        │           └── inventory/
        │               ├── InventoryServiceApplication.java
        │               ├── config/
        │               │   ├── EurekaClientConfig.java
        │               │   ├── RestTemplateConfig.java
        │               │   └── SecurityConfig.java
        │               ├── controller/
        │               │   ├── HealthController.java
        │               │   └── InventoryController.java
        │               ├── filter/
        │               │   └── JwtRoleValidationFilter.java
        │               ├── interceptor/
        │               │   └── ServiceNameInterceptor.java
        │               └── model/
        │                   ├── HealthStatus.java
        │                   ├── InventoryItem.java
        │                   ├── ProductAvailabilityResponse.java
        │                   └── ProductInfo.java
        └── resources/
            └── application.yml

Domain Models

First, let’s create the domain models for our inventory system:

1. InventoryItem

Create a model to represent inventory items:

package org.lite.inventory.model;

import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
import lombok.Data;
import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;

@Data
@NoArgsConstructor
@AllArgsConstructor
public class InventoryItem {
    private Long id;
    private String name;
    private int quantity;
    private double price;
}

2. ProductInfo

Create a model for product information that will be enriched with inventory data:

package org.lite.inventory.model;

import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
import lombok.Data;
import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;
import java.math.BigDecimal;

@Data
@NoArgsConstructor
@AllArgsConstructor
public class ProductInfo {
    private String id;
    private String name;
    private String description;
    private BigDecimal price;
    private String category;
    
    // Inventory-related fields that get enriched by the inventory service
    private boolean inStock;
    private Integer availableQuantity;
    private String estimatedDelivery;
    private String warehouseLocation;
}

3. ProductAvailabilityResponse

Create a wrapper for product responses:

package org.lite.inventory.model;

import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
import lombok.Data;
import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;
import java.util.List;

@Data
@NoArgsConstructor
@AllArgsConstructor
public class ProductAvailabilityResponse {
    private List<ProductInfo> products;
    private String timestamp;
    private String serviceSource = "product-service";
    private String inventoryStatus;
}

Complete Inventory Controller

Now let’s implement the full InventoryController with CRUD operations and service-to-service communication:

package org.lite.inventory.controller;

import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
import org.lite.inventory.model.InventoryItem;
import org.lite.inventory.model.ProductAvailabilityResponse;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.*;
import org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;

@Slf4j
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/inventory")
public class InventoryController {

    private final RestTemplate restTemplate;
    private final Map<Long, InventoryItem> inventoryItems = new HashMap<>();
    private final AtomicLong idCounter = new AtomicLong(1);
    
    @Value("${gateway.base-url:http://localhost:8080}")
    private String gatewayBaseUrl;

    @Autowired
    public InventoryController(RestTemplate restTemplate) {
        this.restTemplate = restTemplate;
        // Initialize with some mock data
        addMockItem("Laptop", 10, 999.99);
        addMockItem("Smartphone", 20, 699.99);
        addMockItem("Headphones", 30, 149.99);
    }

    private void addMockItem(String name, int quantity, double price) {
        long id = idCounter.getAndIncrement();
        inventoryItems.put(id, new InventoryItem(id, name, quantity, price));
    }

    // GET all inventory items
    @GetMapping
    public ResponseEntity<List<InventoryItem>> getAllItems() {
        return ResponseEntity.ok(new ArrayList<>(inventoryItems.values()));
    }

    // GET a specific inventory item by ID
    @GetMapping("/{id}")
    public ResponseEntity<InventoryItem> getItemById(@PathVariable Long id) {
        if (inventoryItems.containsKey(id)) {
            return ResponseEntity.ok(inventoryItems.get(id));
        } else {
            return ResponseEntity.notFound().build();
        }
    }

    // POST a new inventory item
    @PostMapping
    public ResponseEntity<InventoryItem> createItem(@RequestBody InventoryItem item) {
        long id = idCounter.getAndIncrement();
        InventoryItem newItem = new InventoryItem(id, item.getName(), item.getQuantity(), item.getPrice());
        inventoryItems.put(id, newItem);
        return new ResponseEntity<>(newItem, HttpStatus.CREATED);
    }

    // PUT update an existing inventory item
    @PutMapping("/{id}")
    public ResponseEntity<InventoryItem> updateItem(@PathVariable Long id, @RequestBody InventoryItem item) {
        if (inventoryItems.containsKey(id)) {
            InventoryItem updatedItem = new InventoryItem(id, item.getName(), item.getQuantity(), item.getPrice());
            inventoryItems.put(id, updatedItem);
            return ResponseEntity.ok(updatedItem);
        } else {
            return ResponseEntity.notFound().build();
        }
    }

    // DELETE an inventory item
    @DeleteMapping("/{id}")
    public ResponseEntity<Void> deleteItem(@PathVariable Long id) {
        if (inventoryItems.containsKey(id)) {
            inventoryItems.remove(id);
            return ResponseEntity.noContent().build();
        } else {
            return ResponseEntity.notFound().build();
        }
    }

    @GetMapping(value = "/product-availability", produces = MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON_VALUE)
    public ResponseEntity<ProductAvailabilityResponse> getProductAvailability(
            @RequestParam(required = false) String productId) {
        String url = gatewayBaseUrl + "/product-service/products";
        if (productId != null) {
            url += "/" + productId;
        }
        
        try {
            ProductAvailabilityResponse response = restTemplate.getForObject(url, ProductAvailabilityResponse.class);
            log.info("Retrieved product information from Product Service: {}", response);
            
            // Enrich product data with inventory availability information
            if (response != null && response.getProducts() != null) {
                response.getProducts().forEach(product -> {
                    // Here we're simulating checking inventory for the product
                    boolean inStock = inventoryItems.values().stream()
                        .anyMatch(item -> item.getName().equalsIgnoreCase(product.getName()) && item.getQuantity() > 0);
                    product.setInStock(inStock);
                    
                    // Add estimated delivery information based on stock status
                    product.setEstimatedDelivery(inStock ? "1-2 business days" : "3-4 weeks");
                });
            }
            
            return ResponseEntity.ok()
                .contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
                .body(response);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            log.error("Error retrieving product information", e);
            return new ResponseEntity<>(null, HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
        }
    }
}

Understanding the Controller Implementation

CRUD Operations

The controller implements standard CRUD operations for inventory items:

CREATE (POST): Adds a new inventory item
READ (GET): Retrieves either all items or a specific item by ID
UPDATE (PUT): Updates an existing inventory item
DELETE (DELETE): Removes an inventory item

In-Memory Data Store

For simplicity, this implementation uses an in-memory HashMap to store inventory data:

inventoryItems: Map that stores items with their ID as the key
idCounter: Atomic counter that ensures unique IDs for new items
addMockItem: Helper method to initialize some sample data

Service-to-Service Communication

The /product-availability endpoint demonstrates service-to-service communication:

It calls the Product Service (via the API Gateway) to get product information
It enriches the product data with inventory information (availability, delivery estimates)
It returns the combined data to the caller

This pattern showcases how microservices can collaborate to provide a richer API experience by combining their capabilities.

Testing the Inventory Service

When running the Inventory Service, you can test its endpoints:

Get all items: GET https://localhost:{port}/inventory-service/api/inventory
Get a specific item: GET https://localhost:{port}/inventory-service/api/inventory/1

Create a new item: POST https://localhost:{port}/inventory-service/api/inventory

{
  "name": "Gaming Console",
  "quantity": 5,
  "price": 499.99
}

Update an item: PUT https://localhost:{port}/inventory-service/api/inventory/1

{
  "name": "Laptop Pro",
  "quantity": 15,
  "price": 1299.99
}

Delete an item: DELETE https://localhost:{port}/inventory-service/api/inventory/1
Product availability: GET https://localhost:{port}/inventory-service/api/inventory/product-availability

Remember that the actual port will be dynamically assigned since we’re using server.port: 0. Check the Eureka dashboard or service logs to find the assigned port.

The inter-service communication will only work if the Product Service is also running and registered with Eureka. If it’s not running, the /product-availability endpoint will return an error.

Next Steps in Development

Now that you have implemented the core service with proper security, you can extend it with:

Business Logic Controllers
- Create additional controllers for your service’s functionality
- Implement proper authorization checks based on user roles
Database Integration
- Add Spring Data repositories for persistence
- Configure database connections in application.yml
Service-to-Service Communication
- Use RestTemplate or WebClient to call other microservices
- Configure circuit breakers for resilience
Testing
- Implement unit tests for controllers and services
- Create integration tests for full API verification
Swagger Documentation
- Add OpenAPI annotations to document endpoints
- Configure Swagger UI for interactive documentation

Reference Implementation

A complete reference implementation of the Inventory Service is available on GitHub for your reference:

Linqra Sample Inventory Service

View the complete sample service implementation with CRUD operations and service-to-service communication.

Linqra Sample Product Service

View the sample product service implementation with REST endpoints for product management and integration with other microservices.

The repository includes:

Full implementation of the InventoryController with CRUD operations
Models for inventory items and product availability
Service-to-service communication with the Product Service
Mock data for testing purposes

This reference implementation demonstrates best practices for creating microservices that integrate with the Linqra platform and can serve as a starting point for your own services. By following this guide and referencing the sample implementation, you can create secure, cloud-native microservices that integrate seamlessly with the Linqra platform. Your services will be discoverable through Eureka, secured with both JWT tokens and mTLS, and ready for extension with your specific business logic.

CI/CD Deployment

The Inventory Service uses GitHub Actions for continuous integration and deployment. When code is merged into the master branch, it automatically deploys to EC2. Here’s the complete CI/CD configuration:

name: Linqra Inventory Service CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [ "master" ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ "master" ]

permissions:
  contents: write

jobs:
  java-app:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      # Upload Inventory Service source files
      - name: Upload Inventory Service source
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: inventory-service-source
          path: |
            .
      
      # Upload docker-compose.yml
      - name: Upload docker-compose file
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: docker-compose
          path: docker-compose-ec2.yml

      # Upload root pom.xml
      - name: Upload root pom file
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: root-pom
          path: pom.xml

      # Debug and upload .kube directory with hidden files
      - name: Debug .kube directory
        run: |
          echo "Checking .kube directory contents:"
          ls -la .kube/

      - name: Copy .kube to temporary directory
        run: |
          cp -r .kube kube-config

      - name: Upload kube directory
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: kube-config
          path: kube-config/**

      # Add this new step to upload keys directory
      - name: Upload keys directory
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: keys-config
          path: keys/
          if-no-files-found: error

  deploy:
    needs: [java-app]
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/master'

    steps:
      - name: Download all artifacts
        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
        with:
          path: artifacts
      - name: Install SSH key
        uses: webfactory/ssh-agent@v0.9.0
        with:
          ssh-private-key: ${{ secrets.EC2_SSH_KEY_PROD }}
      - name: Deploy to EC2
        env:
          EC2_HOST: ${{ secrets.HOST_DNS_PROD }}
          EC2_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.USERNAME_PROD }}
          TARGET_DIR: ${{ secrets.TARGET_DIR_PROD }}
        run: |
          # Disable strict host key checking
          mkdir -p ~/.ssh
          echo "StrictHostKeyChecking no" >> ~/.ssh/config
          
          # Ensure the target directory exists
          ssh $EC2_USERNAME@$EC2_HOST "sudo mkdir -p /var/www/inventory-service && sudo chown -R $EC2_USERNAME:$EC2_USERNAME /var/www/inventory-service && sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/inventory-service"
          
          # Rsync main directories
          rsync -avz --delete artifacts/inventory-service-source/ $EC2_USERNAME@$EC2_HOST:/var/www/inventory-service
          
          # Use rsync for sensitive files
          rsync -avz artifacts/docker-compose/docker-compose-ec2.yml $EC2_USERNAME@$EC2_HOST:/var/www/inventory-service/docker-compose.yml
          rsync -avz artifacts/root-pom/pom.xml $EC2_USERNAME@$EC2_HOST:/var/www/inventory-service/pom.xml
          
          # .kube and keys (if needed, use scp or rsync as appropriate)
          if [ -d "artifacts/kube-config" ]; then
            rsync -avz --delete --rsync-path="sudo rsync" artifacts/kube-config/ $EC2_USERNAME@$EC2_HOST:/var/www/inventory-service/.kube/
          fi
          if [ -d "artifacts/keys-config" ]; then
            rsync -avz --delete --rsync-path="sudo rsync" artifacts/keys-config/ $EC2_USERNAME@$EC2_HOST:/var/www/inventory-service/keys/
          fi
          
          ssh $EC2_USERNAME@$EC2_HOST "
            # Set permissions
            sudo chown -R ubuntu:ubuntu /var/www/inventory-service
            sudo chmod -R 600 /var/www/inventory-service/keys/* || echo 'No keys to set permissions for'
            sudo find /var/www/inventory-service/keys -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
            sudo find /var/www/inventory-service/keys -type f -exec chmod 600 {} \;
          
            # Move to the deployment directory
            cd /var/www/inventory-service
          
            # Prune unused images/containers/volumes/networks
            echo 'Pruning unused images/containers/volumes/networks'
            sudo docker system prune -a -f
          
            # Check disk usage
            echo 'Checking disk usage'
            df -hT

            # Ensure the Docker network exists
            echo 'Ensuring the Docker network exists'
            sudo docker network create linqra-network || true
          
            # Build and start containers
            echo 'Building and starting containers'
            sudo docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -p linqra up -d --build inventory-service
          
            # Check if containers are running
            echo 'Checking if containers are running'
            docker ps
          "

  dependency-review:
    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Dependency Review
        uses: actions/dependency-review-action@v4
        with:
          fail-on-severity: high

Automatic Deployment Process

When code is merged into the master branch, the following process occurs automatically:

Source Code Upload
- The entire source code is uploaded as an artifact
- Docker compose file and pom.xml are uploaded separately
- Kubernetes and keys configurations are uploaded if present
EC2 Deployment
- The deployment job is triggered only on master branch
- SSH key is installed for secure EC2 access
- Files are transferred to EC2 using rsync
- Proper permissions are set for sensitive files
Docker Operations
- Unused Docker resources are pruned
- Disk usage is checked
- Docker network is ensured
- Container is built and started
Security
- Sensitive files (keys) are handled with proper permissions
- SSH key is used for secure deployment
- Strict host key checking is disabled for automation

Required GitHub Secrets

The following secrets must be configured in your GitHub repository:

EC2_SSH_KEY_PROD: SSH private key for EC2 access
HOST_DNS_PROD: EC2 instance DNS
USERNAME_PROD: EC2 username (typically ‘ubuntu’)
TARGET_DIR_PROD: Target directory on EC2

Dependency Review

For pull requests, a dependency review is performed to check for:

High severity vulnerabilities
Outdated dependencies
License compliance

This ensures that your service remains secure and up-to-date with the latest dependencies.

Linqra Sample Inventory Service

Linqra Sample Product Service

​Creating Custom Microservices

​Project Structure

​Creating a New Microservice

​1. Set Up Project Structure

​2. Configure Maven Dependencies

​3. Create Main Application Class

​4. Configure Service Discovery

​5. Configure Application Properties

​Run Configuration in IntelliJ

​1. VM Options Configuration

​2. Environment Variables

​Verifying Service Registration

​Extending Your Microservice

​Updated Project Structure

​Adding Health Monitoring

​1. Create Health Model

​2. Create Health Controller

​Integration with API Gateway

​Best Practices for Controllers

​Enhancing Security Configuration

​Updated Project Structure

​Security Implementation

​1. JWT Role Validation Filter

​2. Security Configuration

​Understanding the Security Architecture

​Dual Authentication Mechanism

​Authorization Flow

​Testing Security Configuration

​Creating REST API Controllers and Intercommunication

​Updated Project Structure

​Service Identification in Communication

​1. Create Service Interceptor

​2. Configure RestTemplate

​3. Create Main Controller

​Understanding the Intercommunication Architecture

​Service Identification

​RestTemplate Configuration

​Building RESTful APIs

​GET (Retrieve)

​POST (Create)

​DELETE (Remove)

​Service-to-Service Communication Example

​Security Considerations for APIs

​Implementing Business Logic with REST Controllers

​Updated Project Structure

​Domain Models

​1. InventoryItem

​2. ProductInfo

​3. ProductAvailabilityResponse

​Complete Inventory Controller

​Understanding the Controller Implementation

​CRUD Operations

​In-Memory Data Store

​Service-to-Service Communication

​Testing the Inventory Service

​Next Steps in Development

​Reference Implementation

Linqra Sample Inventory Service

Linqra Sample Product Service

​CI/CD Deployment

​Automatic Deployment Process

​Required GitHub Secrets

​Dependency Review

Creating Custom Microservices

Project Structure

Creating a New Microservice

1. Set Up Project Structure

2. Configure Maven Dependencies

3. Create Main Application Class

4. Configure Service Discovery

5. Configure Application Properties

Run Configuration in IntelliJ

1. VM Options Configuration

2. Environment Variables

Verifying Service Registration

Extending Your Microservice

Updated Project Structure

Adding Health Monitoring

1. Create Health Model

2. Create Health Controller

Integration with API Gateway

Best Practices for Controllers

Enhancing Security Configuration

Updated Project Structure

Security Implementation

1. JWT Role Validation Filter

2. Security Configuration

Understanding the Security Architecture

Dual Authentication Mechanism

Authorization Flow

Testing Security Configuration

Creating REST API Controllers and Intercommunication

Updated Project Structure

Service Identification in Communication

1. Create Service Interceptor

2. Configure RestTemplate

3. Create Main Controller

Understanding the Intercommunication Architecture

Service Identification

RestTemplate Configuration

Building RESTful APIs

GET (Retrieve)

POST (Create)

DELETE (Remove)

Service-to-Service Communication Example

Security Considerations for APIs

Implementing Business Logic with REST Controllers

Updated Project Structure

Domain Models

1. InventoryItem

2. ProductInfo

3. ProductAvailabilityResponse

Complete Inventory Controller

Understanding the Controller Implementation

CRUD Operations

In-Memory Data Store

Service-to-Service Communication

Testing the Inventory Service

Next Steps in Development

Reference Implementation

CI/CD Deployment

Automatic Deployment Process

Required GitHub Secrets

Dependency Review