The document discusses serverless computing using OpenWhisk, a serverless platform. It introduces serverless concepts like Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS) where code is run in response to events without needing to manage servers. OpenWhisk allows writing functions in various languages like Swift and provides triggers to activate functions from external events. It also covers OpenWhisk features like scaling functions automatically based on usage, paying only for resources used, and challenges around cold starts when functions have not been run recently.

1. SERVERLESS SWIFT WITH OPENWHISK
JAMES THOMAS, IBM @THOMASJ

2. SERVERS KILL
YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

3. WASN’T THE CLOUD
SUPPOSED TO FIX THIS?

4. “COMPUTING AS A UTILITY”
Source: https://flic.kr/p/5aHJFh

5. DOES UTILITY PROVIDER ASK…
MAINTAIN POWER STATION?

6. DOES UTILITY PROVIDER ASK…
MAINTAIN POWER STATION?
DO CAPACITY PLANNING?

7. DOES UTILITY PROVIDER ASK…
MAINTAIN POWER STATION?
DO CAPACITY PLANNING?
CHARGE FOR UNUSED CAPACITY?

8. WHAT CAN WE DO?

9. Introducing…
SERVERLESS PLATFORMS

10. “RUNS CODE IN RESPONSE TO
EVENTS, MANAGES COMPUTE
RESOURCES”
…WHY IS THIS DIFFERENT?

11. FUNCTIONS-AS-A-SERVICE

12. SCALING: 0 to N

13. PAY-AS-YOU-GO
flickr photo by a loves dc https://flickr.com/photos/alovesdc/3466740007 CC (BY) license

14. ENOUGH TALKING…
SHOW ME THE CODE.

15. PROVIDERS

17. OPEN SOURCE

18. RUNTIMES

19. }
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

20. func main(args: [String:Any]) -> [String:Any] {
// put your code here!
// …
return [ “result” : “value” ]
}
Entry Point Event Parameters
Service Result
my_code.swift

21. ACTIONS

22. Platform API
HTTP Request
Microservice

23. $ 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

24. Platform API
HTTP Request
Microservice
Hello

25. WHAT ABOUT…
🤔
💭
API ROUTING?
RATE LIMITING?
AUTHENTICATION?
DEPLOYMENTS?

26. Platform API
API Gateway Microservice

27. TRIGGERS

28. External Events
Trigger

29. $ wsk trigger create —help
create a new trigger
Usage:
wsk trigger create TRIGGER_NAME [flags]
Flags:
-f, --feed ACTION_NAME trigger feed name

30. EVENT SOURCES

31. Rules
Rules

32. $ wsk rule create —help
create a new rule
Usage:
wsk rule create RULE TRIGGER ACTION [flags]

33. CHALLENGES

34. “WARM” vs “COLD”
🔥 ⛄

35. $ 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

36. $ 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

37. $ 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

38. COMPUTE LIMITS
flickr photo by zund https://flickr.com/photos/zund/12202485675 CC (BY-NC-ND) license

40. SERVERS KILL
YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

41. FIRE YOUR SERVERS
🔥 🖥+ 💪=
UPGRADE PRODUCTIVITY

42. http://bit.ly/burn_your_servers
slack.openwhisk.org
#openwhisk
@thomasj or @openwhisk

43. QUESTIONS?