Visualize with AWS

Maintain diagrams as code with Atlassian Forge

Visualize data via declarative chart and diagram engines such as Vega/Vega-Lite, PlantUML, Mermaid, and Graphviz

About Utoolity

We build apps to integrate and automate
your Atlassian tools
with Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Identity Federation for AWS (cross-product)
• Automation with AWS (Jira | Bamboo)
• Tasks for AWS (Bamboo)

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Atlassian

Atlassian Marketplace

Utoolity in the Marketplace

Utoolity Portfolio

• Identity Federation for AWS (cross-product)
• Automation with AWS (Jira | Bamboo)
• Tasks for AWS (Bamboo)

Topics

• Atlassian platform – ecosystem evolution

• Visualize with AWS – diagrams as code

• Atlassian Forge – challenges and opportunities

Atlassian platform

Ecosystem/Marketplace evolution

• Genesis – Plugins 2 platform (P2)
• Promise – Connect framework
• Challenge – SaaS transformation
  • Disconnect: platform vs. ecosystem
• Future – Forge platform
  • Marketplace Partner program
  • Codegeist Forge edition

The genesis – Atlassian Plugins 2 (P2)

• 2011 – Atlassian OnDemand
  • Bamboo Taskmaster Challenge
• 2012 – Atlassian Marketplace / Hipchat
• 2013 – Jira Service Desk
  • Atlas Camp: Atlassian Connect

The promise – Atlassian Connect

• 2014 – Atlassian Cloud / Atlassian Connect
  • Atlassian Data Center
  • Verified Vendor Program
• 2015 – Atlassian IPO
  • AWS Lambda / Serverless
• 2016 – Bitbucket Pipelines / Statuspage
  • Automation for Jira
  • AWS Step Functions

The challenge – Atlassian SaaS

• 2017 – Atlassian Community / Trello / Stride
  • Bamboo Cloud EOL
• 2018 – Opsgenie
  • Data Center approved apps
• 2019 – Agilecraft / Code Barrel (AFJ)
  • Atlas Camp – Atlassian Forge

The future – Atlassian Forge?

• 2020 Q2 – Marketplace Partner program / Halp
  • Codegeist Forge Edition
• 2020 Q3 – Mindville (Insights)
  • Codegeist 2nd place 'Built with Forge' 🏆
• 2020 Q4 – Atlassian Server EOL announcement
  • Atlassian Team Tour 2020 November 9th/10th
  • Developer Day is all about Forge!

Codegeist Forge Edition

Remote work?

Meet with Jitsi (Atlassian Forge)

Maybe also some fun?

Source: charts.xkcd

The Utoolity App Strategy (TM)

Goal: Focused app tailored to a single use case

Process: Explore all the options

Result: Why not do a swiss army knife again?

So we built a cross-product app that integrates
declarative chart and diagram rendering engines
with Jira issues and Confluence pages …

• … end even won Codegeist 2nd place 'Built with Forge' 🏆

Visualize with AWS
(Atlassian Forge)

Visualize data via declarative chart and diagram engines such as Vega/Vega-Lite, PlantUML, Mermaid, and Graphviz
(and sadly not yet XKCD)

Let's see this in action

Visualize with AWS (Confluence) – docs | demo

Visualize with AWS (Jira) – docs | demo

Codegeist 2nd place 'Built with Forge' – project | video

Usage patterns

1. Edit embedded diagrams inline
2. Edit remote diagrams via Bitbucket/GitHub
3. Create diagrams via VS Code
4. Glimpse into equivalent Jira functionality
5. Provide remote diagrams via AWS (S3 / SSM / REST API)
6. Update remote diagrams via automation

Concepts

• Diagrams as code

• Visualize with AWS

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Atlassian Forge

Diagrams as code

Everything as code

• Infrastructure as Code

  • AWS CloudFormation | Terraform | …

• Configuration as Code

  • Bamboo Specs | Bitbucket Pipelines | …

• … as Code (e.g. Workflows)

• Docs as Code

  • docToolchain | Write the Docs | …

• Diagrams as Code

Multiple benefits

Change Management

• Machine-readable
• Versioning
• Auditing
• Automation
• DSL (Declarative / Imperative)

Visualize with AWS

Cross-product Forge app

Visualize with AWS – architecture

• Serverless cross-product frontend with Forge
• Serverless cross-product business-logic (glue code) with Forge
• Serverless rendering engines with AWS (API/SPI)
• Missing: data sources concept (SPI)

Rendering engines

• Extensible via SPI

• Several visualization types included

  • Vega | Vega-Lite | PlantUML (incl. AWS and C4 modes) | Mermaid | Graphviz | BPMN | Svgbob

• Many candidates

  • Excalidraw | Diagram (Py) | Wardley maps | charts.xkcd

• What would you expect?

Data sources

• So far part of diagram (unless feature of DSL)

• Several candidates

  • REST API | AWS SAM apps | CQL | JQL

• What would you expect?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Backend (API/SPI)

=> Related AWS Services & Tools

AWS Services & Tools

• Infrastructure as code

  • AWS CloudFormation – declarative
  • AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) – imperative
  • Others: ACM / ALB / GA / R53 / WAF / …

• Serverless backend

  • AWS Lambda / AWS Fargate

• Serverless tooling

  • AWS Serverless Application Model (AWS SAM)
  • AWS Serverless Application Repository
  • AWS SAM CLI / AWS Amplify

Atlassian Forge

Frontend (UI/UX) | Business Logic (BL)

Forge platform overview

• CLI driven dev cycle with live reload (DX)
• Declarative UI (React/JSX alike)
• Serverless code – Functions as a Service (FaaS)
• (Optional) arbitrary backend services
• See also the previous ACBEBB presentation by Anil Kumar Krishnashetty

Forge challenges

• Ambitious roadmap
  (production readiness / adoption risks)

• Declarative UI/UX limits, no HTML/CSS/JS (*)

• Complex/Long running BL needs external API
  (10s limit, JS runtime restrictions, FaaS != DOM ...) (*)

• Distribution of Forge apps (*)
• Marketplace for Forge apps (*)
• Hybrid Connect/Forge apps (*)

Forge opportunities

• Rapid prototyping (excellent DX)

• Declarative UI/UX benefits, no HTML/CSS/JS (*)

• Lightweight custom solutions (inhouse/partner)

• Cross-product apps (consistent platform promise)

• Deeper integration options (code run alongside host)

• Less operational overhead (focus on business value)

• Enforced security boundaries (data ownership/residency)

Summary

• Visualizations as code works

• Forge is rapid prototyping platform already

• Serverless DX enables citizen developers

• Ready for prime in 2021? (*)

May the Forge be with you!

=> More information (Forge) | Related resources (AWS)

Created by Utoolity / @utoolity

More information

Atlassian Forge

Hub | Developer | Community | Roadmap

Developer Day is all about Forge!

Atlassian Team Tour 2020 November 9th/10th

– https://events.atlassian.com/teamtour20

Visualize with AWS

Presentation – https://go.utoolity.net/acbebb-20201102

Contact us! – https://go.utoolity.net/contact

Related resources (AWS)

• Serverless on AWS
• AWS Shared Responsibility Model
• AWS Well-Architected Framework
• AWS Security Best practices – whitepaper | blog