Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Modernization of Nintendo eShop: Microservice and platform engineering (GAM306)

Summary

Taiji Iwai from AWS Japan and Shinya Ogura from Nintendo Systems presented the modernization journey of the Nintendo eShop.
The eShop supports over 120 million Nintendo Switch users globally, offering a web-based e-commerce service.
The modernization involved transitioning from on-premise infrastructure to AWS, adopting microservices, and engaging in platform engineering.
The eShop's backend was refactored from a monolithic system to microservices to improve agility, maintainability, and scalability.
The team structure evolved to include cross-functional teams with embedded DevOps engineers, aiming for self-service capabilities and reduced cognitive load.
Platform engineering at Nintendo eShop involves creating an internal developer platform (IDP) with components like application frameworks, container orchestrators, and API gateways.
Amazon ECS was chosen over EKS for its managed cluster and ease of use for developers unfamiliar with Kubernetes.
AWS Organizations is used to manage multiple AWS accounts for microservices, ensuring security and compliance.
A successful case study was presented, showcasing the launch day performance of a major game title using the microservice architecture.
Plans for expanding the Nintendo eShop into a wider API platform service were discussed, with an emphasis on an API gateway for centralized request management.

The transition to microservices was driven by the need for long-term maintainability and the ability to adopt new technologies.
The hierarchical approach to microservice architecture, informed by domain-driven design, helped estimate the number of services and maintain team manageability.
The shift in team structure towards cross-functional teams with embedded DevOps engineers reflects a broader industry trend towards DevOps and agile methodologies.
The decision to use Amazon ECS over EKS was strategic, considering the team's expertise and the need for a managed service that simplifies operations.
The use of AWS Organizations to manage multiple AWS accounts for each microservice demonstrates a commitment to security and scalability.
The case study of a major game title's launch day performance illustrates the practical benefits of the microservice architecture and platform engineering in a high-demand scenario.
The move towards an e-commerce API platform indicates a strategic shift to make Nintendo's e-commerce functionalities more accessible to various developers and customer touchpoints.
The use of Kong OSS as an API gateway and JSONnet for configuration management shows a sophisticated approach to API management and deployment automation.