Implementing a custom aws lambda runtime using Crystal

This presentation gives an introduction into the concept of function as a service. After a quick introduction into crystal it is shown how easy it is to write a custom AWS lambda runtime using the crystal programming language.

This presentation was held at the serverless munich meetup in early 2019.

Transcript

1. Custom AWS lambda runtimes
   ...and a crystal demo
   Alexander Reelsen
   @spinscale
   alr@spinscale.de
   

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2. There is no serverless architecture.
   It's just someone else's execution
   environment.
   Alex R.
   THE TRUTH[TM]
   

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3. WHO DAT?
   About me
   ▸ Working distributed at Elastic since 2013
   ▸ Elasticsearch developer
   ▸ Dislikes running own infrastructure
   ▸ Basketball & JVM fan, husband, dad
   

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4. AND NOW FOR A LESSON IN...
   Agenda
   ▸ Custom AWS Lambda runtimes
   ▸ Introduction into crystal lang
   ▸ A crystal based runtime
   

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5. AWS Lambda
   

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6. FAAS
   

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7. node.js
   

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8. python
   

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9. go
   

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10. java
    

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11. JVM
    

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12. startup time
    

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13. dependencies
    

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14. JIT
    

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15. 2015: custom runtime?
    

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16. node shim
    https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/running-executables-in-aws-lambda/
    

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17. 2018: custom runtime!
    

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18. all the languages!
    

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19. runtime flow
    

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20. CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    

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21. CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    AWS_LAMBDA_RUNTIME_API=localhost:12345
    _HANDLER="my_handler"
    /bin/bootstrap
    

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22. AWS
    ENDPOINT
    CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    AWS_LAMBDA_RUNTIME_API=localhost:12345
    _HANDLER="my_handler"
    /bin/bootstrap
    

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23. AWS
    ENDPOINT
    CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    GET /2018-06-01/runtime/invocation/next
    AWS_LAMBDA_RUNTIME_API=localhost:12345
    _HANDLER="my_handler"
    /bin/bootstrap
    

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24. AWS
    ENDPOINT
    CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    GET /2018-06-01/runtime/invocation/next
    Lambda-Runtime-Aws-Request-Id: 123
    {
    "body": "{ \"foo\": \"bar\" }",
    "requestContext": "{ ... }",
    "headers" : { ... }
    }
    AWS_LAMBDA_RUNTIME_API=localhost:12345
    _HANDLER="my_handler"
    /bin/bootstrap
    

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25. AWS
    ENDPOINT
    CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    POST /2018-06-01/runtime/invocation/123/response
    {
    "body": "{ \"foo\": \"bar\" }",
    "headers" : { ... }
    }
    AWS_LAMBDA_RUNTIME_API=localhost:12345
    _HANDLER="my_handler"
    /bin/bootstrap
    

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26. AWS
    ENDPOINT
    CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    POST /2018-06-01/runtime/invocation/123/response
    {
    "body": "{ \"foo\": \"bar\" }",
    "headers" : { ... }
    }
    HTTP OK 202
    AWS_LAMBDA_RUNTIME_API=localhost:12345
    _HANDLER="my_handler"
    /bin/bootstrap
    

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27. AWS
    ENDPOINT
    CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    POST /2018-06-01/runtime/invocation/123/error
    {
    "statusCode": 500,
    "body" : "..."
    }
    AWS_LAMBDA_RUNTIME_API=localhost:12345
    _HANDLER="my_handler"
    /bin/bootstrap
    

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28. AWS
    ENDPOINT
    CUSTOM
    RUNTIME
    POST /2018-06-01/runtime/init/error
    {
    "errorMessage" : "...",
    "errorType" : "..."
    }
    AWS_LAMBDA_RUNTIME_API=localhost:12345
    _HANDLER="my_handler"
    /bin/bootstrap
    

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29. crystal
    

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30. readable
    

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31. fast
    

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32. statically typed
    

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33. batteries included
    

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35. testing
    

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36. benchmarks
    

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37. metaprogramming
    

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38. fibers
    

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39. channels
    

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40. boehm gc
    

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41. c bindings
    

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42. dependency mgmt
    

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43. web frameworks
    

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44. binaries
    

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45. static binaries
    

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49. demo
    

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50. summary
    

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51. easy
    

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52. $$$
    

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53. static binaries
    

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54. aws library
    

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55. examples
    

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56. static sites, dynamic
    

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57. slack hook
    

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58. github hook
    

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59. location tracking
    

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61. scheduled jobs
    

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62. emails
    

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63. reverse geocoder
    

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64. thank you
    

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65. HYPER HYPER
    Links
    ▸ https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/runtimes-custom.html
    ▸ https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/runtimes-walkthrough.html
    ▸ https://crystal-lang.org
    ▸ https://github.com/spinscale/crystal-aws-lambda
    ▸ AWS Lambda Under the Hood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdzV04T_kec
    ▸ Firecracker: https://firecracker-microvm.github.io/
    ▸ Boehm GC: http://www.hboehm.info/gc/
    ▸ FaastRuby: https://faastruby.io/getting-started-crystal/
    ▸ Google Cloud Functions: https://github.com/sam0x17/gcf.cr
    ▸ Crystal on OpenFaas: https://github.com/TPei/crystal_openfaas
    

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67. @spinscale
    alr@spinscale.de
    

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68. questions?
    

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