Google App Engine: Orchestrating Multiple Apps to Deliver a Composite Service

Question

To my knowledge, GAE does not allow you to upload different Java apps (WARs) to different instances and have them all be part of the same "GAE app".

However, it would be nice to have a modularized architecture, where I have a main web app a multiple other apps that help the main one do its job. For instance, a monitoring app to send email alerts if something critical happens in the main app. A security app with common input validation and encoding services that could be used by the main app and, down the road, other apps.

The point would be to have a whole architecture of deployed GAE apps, but only having one of them be the "main app" that end users interact with. And, I'm not trying to "scam" GAE, because the incoming/outgoing bandwidth would be the same regardless of whether I had everything cluttered up inside one monolothic app, or if I had everything decoupled into lots of smaller apps. They get to bill me all the same.

The problem is I remember reading somewhere the GAE discourage (or perhaps even prohibits) this kind of usage. I just read through the terms of service and couldn't find these kinds of restrictions anywhere, but don't want to commit to building a decoupled architecture if its disallowed!

Does anybody know whether I can have this kind of a setup, and what restrictions/constraints (if any) are imposed on developers here? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Here is the restriction:

4.3 Restrictions. Customer will not, and will not allow third parties under its control to: (a) copy, modify, create a derivative work of, reverse engineer, decompile, translate, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to extract the source code of the Service or any component thereof (subject to Section 4.4 below); (b) use the Service for High Risk Activities; (c) sublicense, resell, or distribute the Service or any component thereof separate from any integrated Customer offering; (d) use the Service to create a substantially similar product or service; (e) create multiple Applications to simulate or act as a single Application or otherwise access the Service in a manner intended to avoid incurring fees; (f) use the Service to operate or enable any telecommunications service or in connection with any Application that allows End Users to place calls to or receive calls from any public switched telephone network; or (g) process or store any Customer Content that is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations maintained by the Department of State. Customer acknowledges that the Service is not HIPAA compliant and Customer is solely responsible for any applicable compliance with HIPAA.