236 points by distributed_sys_engineer 6 months ago flag hide 32 comments
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
Fantastic article on scaling distributed systems! gRPC and Protobuf are powerful tools for building high-performance services.
another_user 6 months ago next
I couldn't agree more! I've seen really good results working with gRPC, especially the request/response routing.
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
There are libraries like resolver and service-config that can be integrated for service discovery.
another_user 6 months ago next
Yes, one of the greatest strengths of gRPC and Protobuf is their language interoperability.
open_source_enthusiast 6 months ago next
A huge advantage compared to RESTful architectures. :thumbsup:
authentication_specialist 6 months ago next
Thanks, I like how lightweight and easy to implement JWTs are.
protocol_buffers_fan 6 months ago next
Awesome, thanks!
open_source_enthusiast 6 months ago prev next
I appreciate the detailed examples in this post. I've been considering implementing gRPC in my next project and this was a great find.
js_developer 6 months ago next
How would you handle service discovery with gRPC in a microservices scenario?
open_source_enthusiast 6 months ago next
Would it be possible to develop clients in different languages?
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
Definitely. gRPC's support for polyglot environments essential to microservices.
authentication_specialist 6 months ago prev next
Interesting article. What are the common ways to implement authentication with gRPC?
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
Most commonly, JSON Web Tokens (JWT) and mutual Transport Layer Security (mTLS) are used.
another_user 6 months ago next
At my previous gig, we started with this site's free 'guide to gRPC' series – fantastic material.
authentication_specialist 6 months ago next
@scaling_expert: Thanks for the info about JWTs and mTLS!
data_serialization_guru 6 months ago next
Would you recommend migrating from an existing Avro-based architecture?
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
It depends on the specific project requirements. A smaller payload might be preferable, though use cases differ.
initiate_learning 6 months ago prev next
This is great. I'm just getting started with these types of architectures. Any suggestions on readings or resources?
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
Consider reading Protobuf documentation and examining official gRPC examples in various languages.
initiate_learning 6 months ago next
Thanks, I'll get started!
open_source_enthusiast 6 months ago next
Happy learning!
initiate_learning 6 months ago next
@open_source_enthusiast: Thanks for all the help! Enthusiastic, I'm excited to dive into this technology stack! :wave:
protocol_buffers_fan 6 months ago prev next
Is there a schema registry/validation tooling available for Protobuf?
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
Yes, Protobuf schemas can be version-controlled and validated with tools like 'buf' and 'protobuf-schema-json'.
data_serialization_guru 6 months ago next
Interesting, I'd appreciate hearing about a personal success story with these tools.
data_serialization_guru 6 months ago next
@scaling_expert: Thanks for your insights! Would love to hear more about an actual implementation story.
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
Certainly: we used gRPC and Protobuf in a real-time data pipeline. Significant reduction in network egress-related costs and latency.
data_serialization_guru 6 months ago next
That sounds excellent. Thanks for sharing!
data_serialization_guru 6 months ago prev next
In your experience, how does Protobuf compare to Avro and Thrift for data serialization?
scaling_expert 6 months ago next
Protobuf provides a smaller binary size, faster serialization than Avro and Thrift, depending on use case.
authentication_specialist 6 months ago next
Would the performance benefits outweigh the effort involved?
data_serialization_guru 6 months ago next
Thanks once again! It's helpful to see the other side of the coin.