In a previous post, I did some experiments with gRPC, protocol buffer and Terraform. The idea was to transform the “Terraform” cli tool into a micro-service thanks to gRPC. This post is the second part of the experiment. I will go deeper in the code and see if it is possible to create a brand new utility, without hacking Terraform. The idea is to import some packages that compose the binary and create my own service based on gRPC.

This post is a little different from the last ones. As usual, the introduction tries to be open, but it quickly goes deeper into a go implementation. Some explanations may be tricky from time to times and therefore not very clear. As usual, do not hesitate to send me any comment via this blog or via twitter @owulveryck. TL;DR: This is a step-by-step example that turns a golang cli utility into a webservice powered by gRPC and protobuf.

Imagine a CCTV at home that would trigger an alert when it detects a movement. Ok, this is easy. Imagine a CCTV that would trigger an alert when it detects a human (and not the cat). A little bit trickier. Now imagine a CCTV that would trigger an alert when it sees someone who is not from the family… Disclaimer: This article will not cover everything. I may post a second article later (or not).