Node version 0.8 includes significant performance improvements and changes to core APIs. It provides up to 10% faster execution speed and up to 4x faster file I/O due to changes in the V8 engine and underlying system calls. Many core Node modules like http, net, and child_processes see major API changes and added functionality. New features like domains and clusters are introduced to make asynchronous code and load distribution across cores easier.

1. Node Version 0.8.x
What’s new in Node?
http://www.meetup.com/Pittsburgh-Node-js/

2. NicholasDeveloper
UX Designer &
McClay
@nickmcclay

3. Speed Improvements
http://blog.nodejs.org/2012/06/25/node-v0-8-0/

4. How much faster is it?!?!
A.) 1%
B.) 10%
C.) 50%
D.) 100%

5. Ehh... its not really clear...
Somewhere between 1% and 10% as far as I can tell...

6. A note about benchmarking node
Remember it’s “./node”
Huge deviation in repeated tests (3829 - 6462 #/sec)
Node 0.4.x has issues running io.js (constant duration)

7. Write Speed Improvements
0.8 0.6
500
375
Write 1MB 250
125
0
1kb 4kb 8kb 16kb 32kb 64kb

8. Read Speed Improvements
0.8 0.6
400
300
Read 1MB 200
100
0
1kb 4kb 8kb 16kb 32kb 64kb

9. HTTP Server Improvements
0.8 0.6 0.4
6000
4500
Serve “Hello World!” 3000
1500
0
#/Sec

10. Uh... Apache Bench?
0.8 0.6 0.4
2500
100000 total requests 1875
100 concurrent requests 1250
625
0
#/Sec

11. API Changes

12. Deprecated
http.Client()
path.{exists,existsSync} -> fs.{exists,existsSync}
tty.setRawMode(mode) -> tty.ReadStream#setRawMode()
direct usage of ev_* and eio_*, should use uv_*

13. Removed
waf build system -> gyp
require(‘sys’) -> require(‘util’)
process.installPrefix
node --vars

14. Lots more changes and additions
process
• buffer
◦ process.stdin.on('keypress') will not be emitted by default, as it's an internal API. Use the keypress module now.
◦ 'utf16le' encoding.
◦ process.stdin.pipe(dest) will automatically call process.stdin.resume().
• child_process
• cluster
◦ silent option to child_process.fork() - stdout and stderr won't be shared with parent.
◦ cluster.fork() no longer return a child_process.fork() object use cluster.fork().process to get the object.
◦ .disconnect() when using child_process.fork() this will allow the child to die gracefully.
◦ the 'death' event on the cluster object is renamed to 'exit'.
◦ stdio option for child_process.spawn() - configuration of child's stdio (file descriptors).
◦ the kill() method is renamed to destroy().
◦ detached option for child_process.spawn() - make the child a process group leader (see docs)
◦ the CLUSTER_WORKER_ID env is now called CLUSTER_UNIQUE_ID, but you should not have used that anyway.
◦ child.send() can now send net.Server and net.Socket as second argument.
◦ workers now kill themselves when they accidentally lose their connection to the master.
• cluster
• http
◦ 'fork', 'online', 'listening', and 'setup' events.
◦ http.Server emits 'connect' event instead of 'upgrade' when the CONNECT method is requested.
◦ Worker object which is provided from cluster.workers (in the master) or cluster.worker (in the worker).
◦ http.ServerResponse sends Date: header by default. You can disable it by setting response.sendDate to false.
◦ env optional argument to cluster.fork().
◦ http.ClientRequest emits 'connect' event instead of 'request' when the CONNECT method is responded.
◦ cluster.setupMaster() and cluster.settings.
• net
◦ cluster.disconnect() and worker.disconnect().
◦ net.listen(socketPath) no longer unlinks the socket unless you call server.close(). Automatic unlinking was ◦ worker.id what there before was internally known as workerID.
subject to race conditions in multi-process setups. Also applies to http.listen(socketPath). ◦ worker.suicide flag set when worker disconnect or die, indicate if this was an accidental death.
• child_process • crypto
◦ arguments and options arguments of child_process.fork() became an option. ◦ crypto.getDiffieHellman().
◦ the 'exit' event is now emitted right after the child process exits. It no longer waits for all stdio pipes to be closed. ◦ cipher.setAutoPadding() and decipher.setAutoPadding().
◦ the 'close' event was added that has is emitted after the child has exited and all the stdio pipes are closed. ◦ ciphers option to crypto.createCredentials().
• readline • domain
◦ arguments of rl.createInterface became an option as rl.createInterface(options) but still took an old style ◦ see http://nodejs.org/docs/v0.8.0/api/domain.html
• fs

15. Lots more changes and additions
process
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• buffer
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◦ process.stdin.on('keypress') will not be emitted by default, as it's an internal API. Use the keypress module now.
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◦ 'utf16le' encoding.
◦ process.stdin.pipe(dest) will automatically call process.stdin.resume().
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• child_process
• cluster
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◦ silent option to child_process.fork() - stdout and stderr won't be shared with parent.
◦ cluster.fork() no longer return a child_process.fork() object use cluster.fork().process to get the object.
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◦ .disconnect() when using child_process.fork() this will allow the child to die gracefully.
◦ the 'death' event on the cluster object is renamed to 'exit'.
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◦ stdio option for child_process.spawn() - configuration of child's stdio (file descriptors).
◦ the kill() method is renamed to destroy().
◦ detached option for child_process.spawn() - make the child a process group leader (see docs)
◦ the CLUSTER_WORKER_ID env is now called CLUSTER_UNIQUE_ID, but you should not have used that anyway.
◦ child.send() can now send net.Server and net.Socket as second argument.
◦ workers now kill themselves when they accidentally lose their connection to the master.
• cluster
• http
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◦ 'fork', 'online', 'listening', and 'setup' events.
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◦ http.Server emits 'connect' event instead of 'upgrade' when the CONNECT method is requested.
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◦ Worker object which is provided from cluster.workers (in the master) or cluster.worker (in the worker).
◦ http.ServerResponse sends Date: header by default. You can disable it by setting response.sendDate to false.
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◦ env optional argument to cluster.fork().
◦ http.ClientRequest emits 'connect' event instead of 'request' when the CONNECT method is responded.
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◦ cluster.setupMaster() and cluster.settings.
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• net
◦ cluster.disconnect() and worker.disconnect().
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◦ net.listen(socketPath) no longer unlinks the socket unless you call server.close(). Automatic unlinking was ◦ worker.id what there before was internally known as workerID.
AP
subject to race conditions in multi-process setups. Also applies to http.listen(socketPath). ◦ worker.suicide flag set when worker disconnect or die, indicate if this was an accidental death.
• child_process • crypto
◦ arguments and options arguments of child_process.fork() became an option. ◦ crypto.getDiffieHellman().
◦ the 'exit' event is now emitted right after the child process exits. It no longer waits for all stdio pipes to be closed. ◦ cipher.setAutoPadding() and decipher.setAutoPadding().
◦ the 'close' event was added that has is emitted after the child has exited and all the stdio pipes are closed. ◦ ciphers option to crypto.createCredentials().
• readline • domain
◦ arguments of rl.createInterface became an option as rl.createInterface(options) but still took an old style ◦ see http://nodejs.org/docs/v0.8.0/api/domain.html
• fs

16. req.pause actually pauses requests

17. Domains
http://nodejs.org/api/domain.html

18. highlights
Domains provide a way to handle multiple different IO
operations as a single group.
Keeps context unlike“process.on(‘uncaughtException’)”
Disabled by default

20. An async callback

21. Without domains

22. Adding domains

23. With domains

24. Cluster
http://nodejs.org/api/domain.html

25. highlights
Take advantage of multi-core system to handle load
easily create a network of processes that share common
ports
setup and manage master-slave worker relationships
Disabled by default

26. Adding cluster

27. More cores = more node

28. Cluster messaging

29. What about isolates?

30. Was intended to make child_process.fork() in a thread,
rather than a full process.
Make it cheaper to spin up new child node instances as well
as fast message-passing using shared memory.

31. Experiments sometimes fail

32. Caused too much instability
Requires a lot of complexity added to libuv and node
Isn’t likely to yield enough gains as the work requires

33. What’s next! Node v0.9
More speed improvements
Major overhaul of streams
???

34. @nickmcclay
See you for Node v0.10!
Thanks!