[Question] build bootstrap native

[eye-gu]

Question

是否有计划考虑将Bootstrap编译成native? native在应对突发流量需要扩容时启动快, 占用资源更小.


1. 很多依赖的框架并不支持
2. shenyu本身也有上传编译jar等native不能支持的功能

Is there a plan to consider compiling Bootstrap into native? Native starts quickly and consumes less resources when dealing with sudden traffic expansion needs


1. Many dependent frameworks do not support it
2. Shenyu also has features such as uploading and compiling jar files that are not supported by native software

[yunmaoQu]

**Good idea, but i have some additional thoughts as follows: **

Compiling shenyu-bootstrap into a native binary (using tools like [GraalVM's native-image](https://www.graalvm.org/reference-manual/native-image/)) abusolutely can offer several benefits:

• Faster Startup Times: Native images can start up significantly faster than traditional JVM applications.
• Lower Memory Footprint: They can consume less memory, which is beneficial for scaling and handling sudden traffic spikes.
• Reduced Resource Consumption: Efficient resource utilization is crucial for cloud-native deployments and microservices architectures.

However, there are several challenges associated with this approach:

1. Dependency Compatibility: Many Java frameworks and libraries rely on dynamic features such as reflection, dynamic class loading, and runtime code generation. These features are not fully supported or require special configuration when compiling to native images.

2. Unsupported Features: As you mentioned, ShenYu has features like uploading and compiling JAR files at runtime. This involves dynamic class loading and possibly bytecode manipulation, which are problematic in a native image context.

3. GraalVM Limitations: While GraalVM provides native image compilation, not all Java code is compatible out-of-the-box. Specific configurations, substitutions, or code changes might be necessary to make the application compatible.（maybe need a lot of work）

Possible Approaches

If native compilation is a priority for your use case, here are some suggestions:

1. Identify Critical Dependencies:

   • Audit Dependencies: Determine which libraries are incompatible with native compilation and see if alternatives exist.
   • Custom Configurations: Use GraalVM's configuration options to handle reflection and proxy usage where possible.

2. Modularize the Application:

   • Separate Native-Compatible Modules: Isolate parts of ShenYu that can be compiled natively and consider a hybrid approach.

3. Explore JVM Optimization:

   • Containerization: Use lightweight containers and optimize the JVM for faster startup times (e.g., using CDS - Class Data Sharing).
   • Ahead-of-Time Compilation: Utilize tools like [OpenJDK's jaotc](https://openjdk.org/jeps/295) for AOT compilation of critical classes.

Alternative Solutions

While native compilation has its benefits, there are other strategies to handle sudden traffic spikes(Not the framework itself):

• Horizontal Scaling: Use orchestration platforms like Kubernetes to scale instances horizontally based on load.
• Serverless Architectures: Consider serverless platforms that can scale functions rapidly.
• Performance Tuning: Optimize ShenYu's configuration and the underlying JVM for better performance under load.