Learn WASM

Containers and virtual machines (VMs) are two different approaches to virtualizing computing resources in cloud environments. Both aim to provide isolated environments for running applications, but they differ in their underlying implementation and the level of isolation they offer.

Containers:

Containers are lightweight, standalone executable packages that include an application and its dependencies. They share the host operating system's kernel, which provides a level of isolation through namespaces and cgroups.

Namespaces:

Namespaces isolate system resources like process IDs, network interfaces, and file systems. This way, processes running in different containers have their own isolated view of these resources, preventing conflicts and improving security.

Example:

Two containers running different web servers can have their own isolated process IDs, preventing conflicts and ensuring smooth operation.

cgroups:

cgroups (control groups) limit and control the resource usage of processes, such as CPU, memory, and I/O bandwidth, preventing a single container from monopolizing host resources.

Example:

If one container starts consuming excessive CPU, cgroups can limit its usage, ensuring other containers continue running smoothly.

Namespaces: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/namespaces.7.html

cgroups: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/cgroups.7.html

Limitations: Containers share the host kernel, so a kernel vulnerability could potentially affect all containers. Resource isolation is not as strong as with VMs, as containers share the host kernel.

VMs:

Virtual machines are complete, isolated guest operating systems running on top of a hypervisor, which manages and virtualizes the underlying hardware resources.

Hypervisor Documentation

VMs provide stronger isolation than containers, as each VM has its own kernel and operating system. However, this also means that VMs are more resource-intensive and less portable than containers.

Limitations:

VMs have higher overhead due to the need for a complete guest operating system. Launching and managing VMs can be slower than containers.

WebAssembly (Wasm) is a low-level, portable binary instruction format designed to be a compilation target for programming languages. It is designed to run alongside JavaScript in web browsers and provides a way to run code written in languages like C, C++, and Rust on the web with near-native performance.

Documentation:

WebAssembly

Mozilla Developer Network

WebAssembly is considered a low-level programming language because it operates closer to the hardware level, providing a compact binary format that can be efficiently executed by the browser or other runtime environments. This low-level nature allows WebAssembly to achieve performance that is often faster than traditional interpreted languages like JavaScript or Python.

Expert opinion (Haseeb Qureshi, experienced software engineer):

"WebAssembly is a game-changer for the web. It allows developers to write high-performance code in languages like C++, Rust, and others, and run that code in the browser at near-native speeds." (Source: https://haseebq.com/what-is-webassembly/)

Simple example:

Imagine you have a complex mathematical calculation or a graphics rendering task that needs to be performed in a web application. With traditional JavaScript, these computationally intensive tasks might be slow or inefficient. However, by using WebAssembly, you can write the performance-critical parts of your application in a language like C++ or Rust, compile it to WebAssembly, and run it in the browser at near-native speeds, providing a smoother and more responsive user experience.

WebAssembly System Interface (WASI):

WASI is a set of interfaces that define how WebAssembly modules can interact with the underlying operating system. It provides a standard way for WebAssembly programs to access system resources like files, network, and other I/O operations, enabling the development of portable and secure applications. WASI

WASI overview

WASI's significance lies in its ability to extend WebAssembly beyond the web browser, enabling the development of standalone applications, command-line tools, and even cloud-native services. It allows WebAssembly modules to be deployed and run in various environments, from servers to edge devices, while maintaining portability and security.

WebAssembly can be used as a compilation target for other programming languages, allowing developers to write code in their preferred language and leverage the performance benefits of WebAssembly.

Documentation:

WebAssembly for C/C++

WebAssembly for Rust

Benefits:

Reuse existing code: Developers can reuse code written in languages like C, C++, or Rust, rather than rewriting everything in JavaScript or a web-specific language. Performance: WebAssembly provides near-native performance for computationally intensive tasks, making it suitable for applications that require high performance, such as games, simulations, or scientific computing. Portability: WebAssembly modules can run in various environments, including web browsers, Node.js, and even serverless functions, enabling code reuse across different platforms.

Example (Blog post by Ryan Cavanaugh, experienced software engineer):

"With WebAssembly, you can take an existing C or C++ codebase and compile it to run in the browser or on the server. This opens up a world of possibilities for reusing existing libraries and tools that were previously limited to native environments." (Source)

WebAssembly can be leveraged to build applications for the cloud, taking advantage of its portability, security, and performance characteristics.

Advantages:

Portability: WebAssembly modules can run on various cloud platforms and environments, making it easier to deploy and scale applications across different cloud providers. Security: WebAssembly's sandboxed execution model and memory isolation provide enhanced security compared to traditional native code, reducing the attack surface for cloud-based applications. Performance: The near-native performance of WebAssembly makes it suitable for computationally intensive tasks often required in cloud environments, such as data processing, scientific computing, or machine learning. Modularity: WebAssembly modules can be easily integrated into existing cloud-native architectures, allowing for a mix of technologies and programming languages within the same application.

Documentation:

Cloud Native WebAssembly

WebAssembly in the Cloud (blog post)

Expert opinion (Tyler McMullen, CTO at Fastly):

"WebAssembly has the potential to revolutionize how we build and deploy cloud applications. Its combination of portability, security, and performance makes it an attractive choice for building scalable, secure, and efficient cloud-native services." (Source)

By leveraging WebAssembly in the cloud, developers can build applications that are portable across different cloud providers, benefit from enhanced security through isolated execution, and achieve high performance for computationally intensive workloads, all while maintaining the ability to mix and match different programming languages within the same application.