The document proposes a functional API called Orleankka for the Orleans distributed computing framework. It addresses the issue of non-uniform interfaces in Orleans by introducing a uniform API based on message passing. The API allows defining serializable message classes and a grain interface with a generic Receive method, while message handling logic lives in the grain class through type-specific Handle methods. This provides a uniform way to select, dispatch and invoke grains using messages.

1. Orleankka
functional API for Orleans
Yevhen Bobrov
yevhen
YouScan.io@

2. “uniform” WAT!?!

3. Non-uniform interface
is the issue

4. Message Passing

5. Uniform API with Message Passing
[Serializable]
public class CheckOut
{
public int Qty;
}
[Serializable]
public class Deactivate
{}
public interface IInventoryItemGrain : IGrain
{
Task Receive(object msg);
}
public class InventoryItemGrain : Grain, IInventoryItemGrain
{
…
public Task Receive(object msg)
{
this.Handle((dynamic)msg);
…
}
public void Handle(CheckOut msg)
{
…
}
public void Handle(Deactivate msg)
{
…
}
}
messages
select & invoke
(dispatcher)
uniform interface

6. Show me the code!