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.

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