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  • Service Brokers vs. Building Blocks

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  • How to change the Workspace Owner of a meshWorkspace via API
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Service Brokers vs. Building Blocks

Building Blocks are the meshStack's standard mechanism to repetitively roll out infrastructure across workspaces. Building Blocks are the recommended way of doing so. Besides Building Blocks, meshStack also supports OSB Services, which can be relevant if you have an existing investment into OSB Services. This page aims to help you understand how these two mechanisms compare.

Building Blocks are currently more actively being worked on, but the Service Broker-based on OSB Services Platform (old meshMarketplace) will continue to be supported in the future.

The table below describes each capability and to what extent it is supported by the respective feature (Building Blocks or Service Brokers)

โœ… - supported

๐ŸŸจ - works to some extent

โฐ - not supported yet

โŒ - not supported and not planned for the future

Building BlocksService Brokers
Provision resources with Terraformโœ… This works very easily๐ŸŸจ Works using UniPipe Service Broker, but requires more implementation effort
Run Custom Processes outside of Terraformโœ… Async provisioning is supported and allows writing back status updates from external systems into meshStackโœ… Service Brokers run on OSB API which means you can build anything you want as long as the interface is compliant with OSB API
Automated Deletion of Resourceโœ… Terraform Building Blocks can run tf destroy automatically๐ŸŸจ Possible but logic needs to be implemented in the service broker
Request User Configurationโœ… You can define a form for your users via the UIโœ… Works with JSON schema and allows for a lot of different variations
Manage Instances via APIโœ…โœ… But missing deletion of meshServiceInstances
Manage Definitions via APIโฐโŒ
Custom Pricing Modelsโœ… via meshResourceUsageReports APIโœ… Can be made part of the definition
Sandbox Development Processโœ… Developers can test drafts of building blocks that cannot be booked by any other workspacesโœ… Developers can create a private service broker that cannot be booked by any other workspaces
Allow non-admins to contributeโœ… Workspace users offer building blocks via the service management area and get it approved by an Admin to be used by other workspaces in the meshStackโœ… Workspace users integrate service broker and get it approved by an Admin to be used by other workspaces in the meshStack
Versioningโœ…โŒ Not possible. There is no such thing as service versions
Works without cloud platformsโœ… Building Blocks can create a tenant as part of a custom platformโœ… Service Brokers work without having a cloud tenant
View all consumption in Admin Areaโœ… There is a list with all building blocks in the Admin AreaโŒ There is only a list of service brokers but not service instances
Tag and Policy Supportโœ…โŒ
Integration on Landing Zonesโœ… Can be set as recommended or mandatory on a landing zoneโŒ
Define Interdependenciesโœ…โŒ
Share Instances between Projectsโฐโœ… Service Instances can be shared between Projects
Last updated on 9/25/2024
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