Akka.FSharp is an idiomatic Akka.NET API for F# that defines actors and changing actor state using F# functions. It has been downloaded more commits and commits in recent years compared to Akkling, another F# Akka.NET library. Both libraries support features like defining actors, persistence, and clustering, but Akkling has additional features like lifecycle events, distributed data, and Akka Streams integration. The presentation provides examples of using Akka.FSharp and Akkling for actor programming in F#.

2. Vagif Abilov
Consultant at Miles
Lives in Kolbotn, Norway
Works with F# and C#
@ooobject
vagif.abilov@mail.com

5. Distribution
Engine
CDN
Media archives
Program
Metadata
Queued
commands

6. Durable
queue
CDN
Transport
Command
Dispatcher
Durable
queue
Command
Adapter
Clustered
Clustered
Event
Journal
Clustered

8. Why Akka.NET & F#?

10. Akka.FSharp vs Akkling: metrics *)
Akka.FSharp Akkling
Latest version 1.3.9 0.9.3
Number of NuGet
package downloads
28K 7K
Number of commits 114
First: 09.07.2014
Last: 15.05.2018
155
First: 05.06.2015
Last: 16.07.2018
Commits in 2017-2018 2017: 11
2018: 7
2017: 41
2018: 35
*) 01.10.2018

11. Akka.FSharp vs Akkling: features
Akka.FSharp Akkling
Idiomatic Akka.NET F# API:
• Defining actors
• Changing actor state (using
mutually recursive F# functions to
implement Become/Unbecome)
• Defining persistent actors (clumsy
API making persistent actors look
very different and hard to
customize)
Idiomatic Akka.NET F# API:
• Defining actors (almost like in
officialAPI, but typed)
• Changing actor state like in offical
API
• Redesigned persistent actors
• Lifecycle event
• Cluster sharding
• Distributed data
• Akka Streams

12. let mkActor =
spawn system "MyActor"
<| fun mailbox ->
let rec loop () = actor {
let! message = mailbox.Receive()
match message with
| Greet(name) -> printfn "Hello %s" name
| Hi -> printfn "Hello from F#!"
return! loop ()
}
loop ()

13. let mkActor =
spawnAnonymous system
<| props (fun mailbox ->
let rec loop () = actor {
let! message = mailbox.Receive()
match message with
| Greet(name) -> printfn "Hello %s" name
| Hi -> printfn "Hello from F#!"
return! loop ()
}
loop ())

14. type ActorMessage =
| Greet of string
| Hi
actor <! Hi
actor <! Greet "Figaro”
// Won’t work in Akkling!
actor <! 2017

17. File
dispatcher
File 1
File 2
File 3
File
processor
File
processor
Hash 1
Hash 2
File 1File 1
File 2
File 3
File
processor
File
processorFile 3
File 2

19. • Creating simple actors
• Supervision
• Lifecycle events
• Actor persistence
• Cluster sharding
• Akka Streams
All samples are available at https://github.com/object/akkling-net-fest

24. MSUI52392934
MSUI52392934
KOID93746502
fg:msui52392934
fg:msui52392934
fg:koid93746502
Persistence ID
Event
Journal
Entity 1
Entity 2

26. Message
Queue
Message
Parser
MSUI52392934
MSUI52392934
KOID93746502
Entity 1
Entity 2

27. Node 1
Shard region
Shard region
Shard 1
Shard 2
Node 2
Shard region
Shard region
Shard 3
Shard 4

29. https://bit.ly/2E6by2a
https://getakka.net
https://github.com/Horusiath/Akkling
https://github.com/object/akkling-net-fest

30. Vagif Abilov
Consultant at Miles
Lives in Kolbotn, Norway
@ooobject
vagif.abilov@mail.com