Thread

5x faster Edge Functions: V8 isolates to Firecracker MicroVMs

229 points · 106 comments · jbott

torginus · 1790801166 · focus · HN ↗
This is highly interesting considering AWS invented the MicroVMs for lambda, yet node on lambda is dog slow (both in latency and throughput). I can traumadump on request. I bet they could use some of this tech especially since their use cases are often not too dissimilar (auth validation, rule checking etc)
1. tomnipotent · 1790806191 · focus · HN ↗
  > they could use some of this tech
  Firecracker is AWS tech, and was behind both Lambda & Fargate. I imagine it's all the enterprisey extras built on top that cause those issues.
  1. nderjung · 1790806923 · focus · HN ↗
    It is originally AWS, though we forked Firecracker ~4 years ago now and maintain an internal version with custom hypercalls (command-and-control from within the VM, POSIX-style fork, etc.) and a number of other features. We regularly pull patches and fixes from upstream Firecracker. You can read about the differences here:
    <a href="https://unikraft.com/blog/unikraft-vs-firecracker" rel="nofollow">https://unikraft.com/blog/unikraft-vs-firecracker
    tomnipotent · 1790811644 · focus · HN ↗
    Weird time to advertise your product.
    fragmede · 1790812168 · focus · HN ↗
    When would you prefer they advertise? Seems entirely relevant.
    tomnipotent · 1790816395 · focus · HN ↗
    When they're contributing to the conversation. It's not relevant.
    fragmede · 1790816524 · focus · HN ↗
    How is it not relevant? In what way doesn't it contribute?
    tomnipotent · 1790817113 · focus · HN ↗
    It's on you to prove it does. In what ways does it contribute?
    fragmede · 1790817239 · focus · HN ↗
    We now know about their unikraft VM, whereas previous we did not.
    tomnipotent · 1790817324 · focus · HN ↗
    If only there was an HN guideline about not using the site primarily for promotion.
    fragmede · 1790818284 · focus · HN ↗
    You said they didn't contribute and weren't relevant. Whether their account primarily exists for promotion is a separate question.
    pjmlp · 1790845688 · focus · HN ↗
    As fly by comment, I bet very few HNers actually read those guidelines.
    ascorbic · 1790835679 · focus · HN ↗
    It's relevant because it's about TFA! I'm assuming you didn't read it: Netlify uses Unikraft MicroVMs
    nderjung · 1790818502 · focus · HN ↗
    Netlify use Unikraft for microVMs; just explaining the variant of Firecracker they are using.
    0xCMP · 1790820408 · focus · HN ↗
    ICYMI:
    > Over the past several months, our team has rebuilt the infrastructure behind Edge Functions, working closely with the team at Unikraft, who wrote about the experience from their side.
  2. zokier · 1790807606 · focus · HN ↗
    fargate is not firecracker
    binsquare · 1790808511 · focus · HN ↗
    can confirm that this is true for the fargate product used by consumers.
    as someone who worked on it
    tomnipotent · 1790811636 · focus · HN ↗
    From the Firecracker README:
    <a href="https://github.com/firecracker-microvm/firecracker" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/firecracker-microvm/firecracker
    "Firecracker was developed at Amazon Web Services to accelerate the speed and efficiency of services like AWS Lambda and AWS Fargate."
2. notatoad · 1790815312 · focus · HN ↗
  seriously - if netlify can do 15ms warm start + 10ms cold start, wtf is lambda doing for the other 1500ms?
  1. chrisweekly · 1790872056 · focus · HN ↗
    did you get the warm and cold numbers reversed?
    notatoad · 1790873904 · focus · HN ↗
    that plus sign is addition. netlify claims cold start is only 10ms slower than warm start.
    chrisweekly · 1790875681 · focus · HN ↗
    ah, so 15ms warm and 25ms cold. that makes much more sense.
3. momojo · 1790868205 · focus · HN ↗
  1. What's the node + aws story? Did you stick with aws or stay but try a different serverless tech? 2. Is lambda/serverless overhyped? I'm worried about reaching for it too soon.

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