Enable GRPC Compression For The BES

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Overview

The BES (Build Event Service) is a crucial component of the Bazel build system, responsible for handling build events and providing real-time feedback to users. However, large BES events can consume significant upload bandwidth, leading to performance issues and decreased user experience. In this article, we will explore the possibility of enabling gRPC compression for the BES, which can help alleviate these issues and improve overall system performance.

The Problem with Large BES Events

BES events can become quite large, especially when a requested target contains many "important artifacts." These large events can consume non-negligible upload bandwidth, leading to performance issues and decreased user experience. To mitigate this problem, we need to explore ways to compress BES events, reducing their size and improving upload performance.

gRPC Compression: A Potential Solution

gRPC is a high-performance RPC framework that provides a flexible and efficient way to communicate between services. However, the gRPC backend for the BES does not currently enable any kind of transport layer compression. This means that BES events are transmitted in their raw form, without any compression or optimization. By enabling gRPC compression, we can reduce the size of BES events and improve upload performance.

Blaze Compression: A Related but Separate Issue

Blaze is a build system that uses Bazel as its underlying build engine. While Blaze does provide some compression capabilities, it is not directly related to the gRPC compression issue we are trying to solve. Blaze compression is primarily used to compress build outputs, such as binaries and libraries, whereas gRPC compression is used to compress BES events.

Enabling gRPC Compression: A Step-by-Step Guide

Enabling gRPC compression for the BES requires a few simple steps:

Step 1: Check the gRPC Version

First, we need to check the version of gRPC being used by the BES. We can do this by running the following command:

bazel info --output=build --config=grpc

This will output the version of gRPC being used.

Step 2: Enable gRPC Compression

Once we have determined the version of gRPC being used, we can enable compression by adding the following flag to the Bazel command:

bazel build --config=grpc --grpc_compression=DEFLATE

This will enable DEFLATE compression for gRPC.

Step 3: Verify Compression

To verify that compression is working correctly, we can use the following command:

bazel info --output=build --config=grpc --grpc_compression=DEFLATE --verbose

This will output detailed information about the compression process, including the compression ratio and the compressed size of the BES event.

Conclusion

Enabling gRPC compression for the BES is a simple yet effective way to improve upload performance and reduce the size of BES events. By following the steps outlined in this article, we can enable compression and improve the overall user experience. While Blaze compression is a related but separate issue, gRPC compression is a crucial step in improving the performance of the BES.

Future Work

While enabling gRPC compression is a significant step forward, there are still opportunities for improvement. Future work could include:

  • Investigating other compression algorithms, such as LZ4 or Zstandard, to determine which one provides the best compression ratio.
  • Implementing compression for other types of BES events, such as build logs and notifications.
  • Optimizing the compression process to reduce overhead and improve performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this article, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about enabling gRPC compression for the BES.

Q: What is gRPC compression, and why do I need it?

A: gRPC compression is a feature that allows you to compress BES events before transmitting them over the network. This can help reduce the size of BES events and improve upload performance.

Q: How do I enable gRPC compression for the BES?

A: To enable gRPC compression for the BES, you need to add the --grpc_compression flag to the Bazel command. For example:

bazel build --config=grpc --grpc_compression=DEFLATE

This will enable DEFLATE compression for gRPC.

Q: What are the benefits of enabling gRPC compression for the BES?

A: Enabling gRPC compression for the BES can help improve upload performance and reduce the size of BES events. This can lead to faster build times and improved user experience.

Q: What are the different types of compression algorithms available for gRPC?

A: There are several compression algorithms available for gRPC, including:

  • DEFLATE: A widely used compression algorithm that provides a good balance between compression ratio and performance.
  • LZ4: A high-performance compression algorithm that provides a good compression ratio.
  • Zstandard: A compression algorithm that provides a high compression ratio and is designed for real-time compression.

Q: How do I choose the right compression algorithm for my use case?

A: The choice of compression algorithm depends on your specific use case and requirements. If you need a high compression ratio, you may want to consider using LZ4 or Zstandard. If you need a good balance between compression ratio and performance, DEFLATE may be a good choice.

Q: Can I use multiple compression algorithms simultaneously?

A: Yes, you can use multiple compression algorithms simultaneously. For example, you can use DEFLATE for the initial compression and then use LZ4 for the final compression.

Q: How do I verify that gRPC compression is working correctly?

A: To verify that gRPC compression is working correctly, you can use the following command:

bazel info --output=build --config=grpc --grpc_compression=DEFLATE --verbose

This will output detailed information about the compression process, including the compression ratio and the compressed size of the BES event.

Q: What are the system requirements for enabling gRPC compression for the BES?

A: The system requirements for enabling gRPC compression for the BES are:

  • Bazel 4.2 or later
  • gRPC 1.32 or later
  • A compatible compression algorithm (e.g. DEFLATE, LZ4, Zstandard)

Q: Can I use gRPC compression with other Bazel features?

A: Yes, you can use gRPC compression with other Bazel features, such as Blaze and Bazelisk.

Q: Are any known issues or limitations with gRPC compression for the BES?

A: Yes, there are some known issues and limitations with gRPC compression for the BES. For example:

  • gRPC compression may not work correctly with certain types of BES events.
  • gRPC compression may introduce additional overhead and latency.
  • gRPC compression may not be compatible with all compression algorithms.

Conclusion

Enabling gRPC compression for the BES can help improve upload performance and reduce the size of BES events. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can enable compression and improve the overall user experience. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.