Microservices are independently deployable units of logic in which each microservice performs a single business function. Applications built in the microservices architectural style are developed as a suite of microservices.

Software AG offers a lightweight container called webMethods Microservices Runtime to host microservices you develop in Software AG Designer. Using Microservices Runtime, you can deliver microservices as an webMethods Integration Server package that includes a set of related services, interfaces, document types, and triggers that subscribe to topics or queues, or as a set of related packages of one kind, for example, five packages relating to Human Resources functions.

Microservices Runtime is optimized for execution in a Docker container and you can run a microservice or a set of related microservices in a Docker container. Docker images include configuration, which enables you to deploy the same configuration anywhere. The Docker image can include one package or a set of related packages.

Microservices Runtime provides the ability to create a Docker image from an installed and configured instance of Microservices Runtime. The Docker image contains the Microservices Runtime application including packages and Microservices Runtime assets. While a Microservices Runtime stores configuration information inside its file system and therefore inside any Docker image created from the Microservices Runtime, you can externalize and pass some configuration information to the Microservices Runtime at startup. You can accomplish this with Microservices Runtime by using a configuration variables template and environment variables.