Updating Introduction to NATS

README.md

@@ -1,33 +1,34 @@
-# Introduction
+# Introduction to NATS
 
-## The Importance of Messaging
+NATS is a connective technology that powers modern distributed systems. A connective technology is responsible for addressing and discovery and exchanging of messages that drive the common patterns in distributed systems; asking and answering questions, aka services/microservices, and making and processing statements, or stream processing.
 
-Developing and deploying applications and services that communicate in distributed systems can be complex and difficult. However there are two basic patterns, request/reply or RPC for services, and event and data streams. A modern technology should provide features to make this easier, scalable, secure, location independent and observable.
+Modern distributed systems are defined by an ever increasing number of hyper-connected moving parts and the additional data they generate. They employ both services and streams to drive business value.
 
-### Distributed Computing Needs of Today
+They are also being defined by location independence and mobility, and not just for things we would typically recognize as front end technologies. Today’s systems and the backend processes, microservices and stream processing are being asked to be location independent and mobile as well, all while being secure.
 
-A modern messaging system needs to support multiple communication patterns, be secure by default, support multiple qualities of service, and provide secure multi-tenancy for a truly shared infrastructure. A modern system needs to include:
+These modern systems present challenges to technologies that have been used to connect mobile front ends to fairly static backends. These incumbent technologies typically manage addressing and discovery via hostname (DNS) or IP and port, utilize a 1:1 communication pattern, and have multiple different security patterns for authentication and authorization. 
 
-* Secure by default communications for microservices, edge platforms and devices
-* Secure multi-tenancy in a single distributed communication technology
-* Transparent location addressing and discovery
-* Resiliency with an emphasis on the overall health of the system
-* Ease of use for agile development, CI/CD, and operations, at scale
-* Highly scalable and performant with built-in load balancing and dynamic auto-scaling
-* Consistent identity and security mechanisms from edge devices to backend services
+Although not perfect, incumbent technologies have been good enough in many situations, but times are changing quickly. As microservices, functions, and stream processing are being asked to move to the edge, these technologies and the assumptions they make are being challenged.
 
-### NATS
+## What makes the NATS connective technology unique for these modern systems?
 
-NATS was built to meet the distributed computing needs of today and tomorrow. NATS is simple and secure messaging made for developers and operators who want to spend more time developing modern applications and services than worrying about a distributed communication system.
+NATS manages addressing and discovery based on subjects and not hostname and ports. Defaulting to M:N communications, which is a superset of 1:1, meaning it can do 1:1 but can also do so much more. If you have a 1:1 system that is successful in development, ask how many other moving parts are required for production to work around the assumption of 1:1? Things like load balancers, log systems, and network security models, as well as proxies and sidecars. If your production system requires all of these things just to get around the fact that the connective technology being used, e.g. HTTP or gRPC, is 1:1, it’s time to give NATS.io a look.
 
-* Easy to use for developers and operators
-* High-Performance
-* Always on and available
-* Extremely lightweight
-* At Most Once and At Least Once Delivery
-* Support for Observable and Scalable Services and Event/Data Streams
-* Client support for over 30 different programming languages
-* Cloud Native, a CNCF project with Kubernetes and Prometheus integrations
+NATS can be deployed nearly anywhere; on bare metal, in a VM, as a container, inside K8S, on a device, or whichever environment you choose. NATS runs well within deployment frameworks or without. 
+
+Similarly, NATS is secure by default and makes no requirements on network perimeter security models. When you start considering mobilizing your backend microservices and stream processors, many times the biggest roadblock is security.
+Scalable, Future-Proof Deployments
+
+NATS infrastructure and clients communicate all topology changes in real time. This means that NATS clients do not need to change when NATS deployments change. Having to change clients with deployments would be like having to reboot your phone every time your cell provider added or changed a cell tower. This sounds ridiculous of course, but think about how many systems today have their front ends tied so closely to the backend, that any change requires a complete front end reboot, or at least a reconfiguration. NATS clients and applications need no such change when backend servers are added and removed and changed. Even DNS is only used to bootstrap first contact, after that, NATS handles endpoint locations transparently.
+
+### Hybrid Deployments
+
+Another advantage to utilizing a NATS is that it allows a hybrid mix of SaaS/Utility computing with separately owned and operated systems. Meaning you can have a shared NATS service with core microservices, streams and stream processing be extended by groups or individuals who have a need to run their own NATS infrastructure. You are not forced to choose one or the other.
+
+### Moving Forward
+
+Today’s systems will fall short with new demands. As modern systems continue to evolve and utilize more components and process more data, supporting patterns beyond 1:1 communications, with addressing and discovery tied to DNS is critical. Foundational technologies like NATS promise the most return on investment. Incumbent technologies
+will not work as modern systems unify cloud, Edge, IoT and beyond. NATS does.
 
 ### Use Cases