Serverless Swift with Apache OpenWhisk

Do you want to build backend applications using Swift but don’t want to manage computing infrastructure to run those applications in the cloud? Enter serverless cloud platforms…
These services allow developers to push code, rather than VMs, into the cloud. The platforms allow you to connect external event sources like API requests or message queues to functions in your code. As events occur, your code is instantiated and executed to process each request. Developers are only billed for the milliseconds needed to process each request.
In this session, developers will learn how to build Swift microservices using modern “serverless” cloud platforms. We’ll look at common challenges (and solutions) to building applications using “serverless” stacks. Exploring emerging “serverless” design patterns will give developers the knowledge to build application architectures using these new platforms.

Transcript

1. SERVERLESS SWIFT WITH OPENWHISK JAMES THOMAS, IBM @THOMASJ
2. SERVERS KILL YOUR PRODUCTIVITY @THOMASJ
3. WHAT CAN WE DO? @THOMASJ
4. Introducing… SERVERLESS PLATFORMS @THOMASJ
5. “RUNS CODE IN RESPONSE TO EVENTS, MANAGES COMPUTE RESOURCES” …WHY IS THIS DIFFERENT? @THOMASJ
6. FUNCTIONS-AS-A-SERVICE @THOMASJ
7. SCALING: 0 to N @THOMASJ
8. PAY-AS-YOU-GO flickr photo by a loves dc https://flickr.com/photos/alovesdc/3466740007 CC (BY) license @THOMASJ
9. ENOUGH TALKING…
 SHOW ME THE CODE. @THOMASJ
10. PROVIDERS @THOMASJ
11. @THOMASJ
12. OPEN SOURCE @THOMASJ
13. RUNTIMES @THOMASJ
14. } guard let amount = args["amount"] as? Int else { return [ "error": "Missing mandatory argument: amount" ] } guard let prices = currentBitcoinPricesJson() else { return [ "error": "Unable to retrieve Bitcoin prices" ] } guard let rate = prices["bpi"][currency]["rate_float"].double else { return [ "error": "Currency not listed in Bitcoin prices" ] } let converted = Double(amount) / rate let bitcoins = converted.truncate(places: 6) return ["amount": bitcoins, "label": "\(amount) \(currency) is worth \ (bitcoins) bitcoins."] } my_code.swift @THOMASJ
15. func main(args: [String:Any]) -> [String:Any] { if let name = args["name"] as? String { return [ "greeting" : "Hello \(name)!" ] } else { return [ "greeting" : "Hello anonymous!" ] } } Entry Point Event Parameters Service Response Swift 3
16. struct Person: Codable { let name: String? } struct Message: Codable { let greeting: String } func main(p: Person, callback: (Message?, Error?) -> Void) -> Void { if let name = p.name { callback(Message(greeting: "Hello \(name)"), nil) } else { callback(Message(greeting: "Hello anonymous!"), nil) } } Swift 4 Event Parameters Service Result Callback Response
17. ACTIONS @THOMASJ
18. Platform API HTTP Request Microservice @THOMASJ
19. $ wsk action create —help create a new action Usage: wsk action create ACTION_NAME ACTION [flags] Flags: --web string treat ACTION as a web action
 @THOMASJ
20. Platform API HTTP Request Microservice @THOMASJ
21. WHAT ABOUT… API ROUTING? 
 RATE LIMITING? AUTHENTICATION? DEPLOYMENTS? @THOMASJ
22. Platform API API Gateway Microservice @THOMASJ
23. TRIGGERS @THOMASJ
24. External Events Trigger @THOMASJ
25. EVENT SOURCES @THOMASJ
26. Rules Rules @THOMASJ
27. CHALLENGES @THOMASJ
28. “WARM” vs “COLD” ⛄ @THOMASJ
29. $ time wsk action invoke bitcoin -p amount 1000 -p currency USD -r { "amount": 0.246287, "label": "1000.0 USD is worth 0.246287 bitcoins." } real 0m4.638s user 0m0.095s sys 0m0.054s
 $ time wsk action invoke bitcoin -p amount 1000 -p currency USD -r { "amount": 0.246287, "label": "1000.0 USD is worth 0.246287 bitcoins." } real 0m1.003s user 0m0.093s sys 0m0.045s @THOMASJ
30. $ time wsk action invoke … { "amount": 0.246287, "label": “...” } real 0m4.638s user 0m0.095s sys 0m0.054s ——> start container ——> inject code ——> swift build ——> call main() ——> pause container $ time wsk action invoke … { "amount": 0.246287, "label": “...” } real 0m1.003s user 0m0.093s sys 0m0.045s ——> resume container ——> inject code ——> swift build ——> call main() ——> pause container @THOMASJ
31. $ time wsk action invoke … { "amount": 0.246287, "label": “...” } real 0m1.438s user 0m0.095s sys 0m0.054s ——> start container ——> inject code ——> swift build ——> call main() ——> pause container $ time wsk action invoke … { "amount": 0.246287, "label": “...” } real 0m1.003s user 0m0.093s sys 0m0.045s ——> resume container ——> inject code ——> swift build ——> call main() ——> pause container @THOMASJ
32. COMPUTE LIMITS flickr photo by zund https://flickr.com/photos/zund/12202485675 CC (BY-NC-ND) license @THOMASJ
33. @THOMASJ
34. SERVERS KILL YOUR PRODUCTIVITY @THOMASJ
35. FIRE YOUR SERVERS + = UPGRADE PRODUCTIVITY @THOMASJ
36. http://bit.ly/burn_your_servers slack.openwhisk.org #openwhisk @thomasj or @openwhisk
37. QUESTIONS? @THOMASJ