WebAssembly, often abbreviated as WASM, is a binary instruction format for a stack-based virtual machine. It is designed as a portable target for the compilation of high-level languages like C, C++, and Rust, enabling deployment on the web for client and server applications. This article will delve into the intricacies of WebAssembly, its role in Cloud Computing, and how it is revolutionizing the way we build and deploy applications on the cloud.
Cloud computing, on the other hand, is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. In this glossary entry, we will explore how WebAssembly fits into the cloud computing paradigm and its implications for software engineers.
Defining WebAssembly
WebAssembly is a binary code format that was designed to be a compilation target for existing languages such as C, C++, and Rust. It is a low-level assembly-like language with a compact binary format that runs with near-native performance and provides languages with a low-level, efficient target for compilation. The goal of WebAssembly is to enable high-performance applications on web pages, but the format is designed to be executed and integrated into other environments as well, including cloud computing platforms.
WebAssembly is designed to be a safe, portable, and efficient binary format. Safe means that it is designed with a strong focus on security, and portable means that it is designed to run on a variety of different machine architectures. Efficient refers to the fact that it is designed to be fast to decode and execute.
WebAssembly's Binary Format
The binary format of WebAssembly is designed to be compact and efficient for machines to decode and execute. It is also designed to be easy to emit for producers and to be straightforward to decode for consumers. The binary format is dense, which means it is designed to be small in size and fast to decode. This is particularly important for web use-cases where download size is a critical factor.
The binary format is also designed to be easy to validate and execute. It is statically typed, which means that the types of all values are known at compile time. This allows for efficient execution and also simplifies the process of validation.
WebAssembly and Cloud Computing
WebAssembly's design and capabilities make it a powerful tool in the realm of cloud computing. Its compact binary format and near-native performance allow it to run complex applications efficiently in the cloud. Furthermore, its portability ensures that applications can run on any cloud platform that supports WebAssembly, regardless of the underlying hardware.
WebAssembly can be used in the cloud in several ways. It can be used to run server-side applications, to execute complex tasks within cloud functions, or to provide a runtime for sandboxed execution of untrusted code. The latter is particularly useful in multi-tenant cloud environments where isolation between different users' code is critical for security.
Server-side Applications
WebAssembly is a compelling choice for running server-side applications in the cloud. Its near-native performance means that applications can run at speeds comparable to those written in languages like C or C++, but with the added benefits of safety and portability provided by WebAssembly.
Furthermore, because WebAssembly is a compilation target for many languages, developers can write server-side applications in the languages they are most comfortable with and then compile them to WebAssembly to run in the cloud. This opens up new possibilities for cloud development, as it allows developers to leverage the tools and languages they are most familiar with, rather than being restricted to those traditionally used for server-side development.
Cloud Functions
Cloud functions, also known as serverless functions, are a key part of modern cloud architectures. They allow developers to write small, single-purpose functions that are triggered by events and run in the cloud. WebAssembly is a great fit for this model, as its compact binary format and fast startup times make it ideal for the short-lived, event-driven nature of cloud functions.
By compiling their functions to WebAssembly, developers can ensure that they run efficiently and securely in the cloud. Additionally, because WebAssembly is language-agnostic, developers can write their functions in any language that can be compiled to WebAssembly, providing a great deal of flexibility.
History of WebAssembly
WebAssembly was first announced in 2015 by a coalition of tech giants including Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, and Apple. The goal was to create a universal binary format for the web that would provide near-native performance for web applications. The first version of WebAssembly, known as MVP (Minimum Viable Product), was officially released in 2017.
Since its release, WebAssembly has been rapidly adopted by a wide range of industries and use-cases. It has been used to bring desktop applications to the web, to run high-performance game engines in the browser, and to power server-side applications in the cloud. The future of WebAssembly looks bright, with ongoing work to add features such as garbage collection, threading, and more.
Use Cases of WebAssembly in the Cloud
WebAssembly's unique capabilities make it well-suited to a variety of use-cases in the cloud. Its near-native performance, safety guarantees, and language-agnostic nature make it a powerful tool for cloud developers.
One of the most compelling use-cases for WebAssembly in the cloud is in the realm of serverless computing. Serverless functions, also known as cloud functions or Functions as a Service (FaaS), are small, single-purpose pieces of code that are triggered by events and run in the cloud. WebAssembly's compact binary format and fast startup times make it ideal for this use-case.
Running Untrusted Code
Another important use-case for WebAssembly in the cloud is running untrusted code. In multi-tenant cloud environments, it's often necessary to run code from different users in the same physical infrastructure. This can pose a security risk, as malicious or poorly-written code could potentially affect other users' code or the underlying infrastructure.
WebAssembly provides a solution to this problem by providing a secure sandbox in which code can be executed. The WebAssembly runtime ensures that code cannot access memory or resources outside of what it has been explicitly given access to, providing strong isolation between different pieces of code. This makes it possible to safely run untrusted code in the cloud.
Conclusion
WebAssembly is a powerful tool in the world of cloud computing. Its near-native performance, compact binary format, and language-agnostic nature make it a compelling choice for running applications in the cloud. Whether it's server-side applications, serverless functions, or running untrusted code, WebAssembly has a role to play.
As cloud computing continues to evolve, the role of WebAssembly is likely to grow. With ongoing work to add new features and capabilities to WebAssembly, the future looks bright for this innovative technology.