⚠️ This invoker will work with the 0.0.7 release of riff, and will be upgraded to work on more recent releases soon.

Golang Function Invoker

Purpose

The go function invoker provides a Docker base layer for a function built as a Go plugin. It accepts gRPC requests, invokes the command for each request in the input stream, and sends the command's output to the stream of gRPC responses.

Install as a riff invoker

riff invokers apply -f go-invoker.yaml

Writing go functions

The go function invoker supports both "streaming" and "direct" (traditional request/reply style functions). Internally, the latter are converted to the streaming model, so let's start with streaming functions:

Writing a streaming function

If the exposed function accepts a receiving channel as its sole parameter and returns a receiving channel as its first return value, then the function is considered to be "streaming":

func Foo(input <-chan X) <-chan Y {
}

where X and Y can be anything that can be (un)marshalled via content negotiation.

Additionally, the function can return a second, receiving channel of type error to signal errors. The function invocation will abort if any error is received (meaning only the first error is ever going to be considered):

func Foo(input <-chan X) (output <-chan Y, errs <-chan error) {
}

This is more or less the canonical form of functions described in Pipelines and cancellation. Note that the "cancellation" part doesn't apply here (and hence functions don't get passed a closeable channel to exit early) because there is only ever one function in riff. Cancellation is signaled by closure of the input channel.

The general contract of supported functions is the following:

• the function must have the signature(s) described above
• the function must return "immediately". Actual processing of data is to be handled in a new goroutine
• the function is responsible for creating the result output (as well as the optional error channel)
• the function is responsible for closing the result and error channel(s)
• closure of the input channel signals the end of input data.
• the goroutine should return after having written to the error channel

Given all of the above, the typical form of a streaming function is going to be this:

func Foo(input <-chan X) (<-chan Y, <-chan error) {
  out := make(chan Y)
  errs := make(chan error)

  go func() {
    defer close(out)
    defer close(errs)
    for in := range input {
      ...
    }
  }()

  return out, errs
}

Writing a "regular" function

If the exposed function doesn't accept/return channels, then it is considered a "regular" request reply and will be wrapped inside an at-most-one streaming function.

The typical form of a "regular" function is going to be

func Foo(input X) Y {
}

where X and Y can be anything that can be (un)marshalled via content negotiation.

An optional second return value of type error is supported:

func Foo(input X) (Y, error) {
}

In addition to those two common forms, the function can also elect to not require input ("supplier" style), or to not return a value ("consumer" style). Combined with the optional error second/last return value, this is eight possible supported forms (not all of them make sense for real-world applications.)

Development

Prerequisites

The following tools are required to build this project:

• make
• Docker
• Glide for dependency management

If you intend to re-generate mocks for testing, install:

• Mockery

If you would like to run tests using the ginkgo command, install:

• Ginkgo

If you need to re-compile the protobuf protocol, install:

• Google's protocol compiler

Get the source

go get github.com/projectriff/go-function-invoker
cd $(go env GOPATH)/src/github.com/projectriff/go-function-invoker

Building

To build locally (this will produce a binary named go-function-invoker on your machine):

make build

To build the Docker base layer:

make dockerize

This assumes that your docker client is correctly configured to target the daemon where you want the image built.

To run tests:

make test

To attach a delve capable debugger (such as Goland) to a go-function-invoker running inside k8s:

make debug-dockerize

Then expose the 2345 port as a service, using config/debug-service.yaml:

kubectl apply -f config/debug-service.yaml

Finally, update the function you would like to debug so that it picks up the new base layer. Then you can connect the debugger through port 30111.

Compiling the Protocol

The gRPC protocol for the go function invoker is defined in function.proto.

Clone https://github.com/projectriff/riff and set $FN_PROTO_PATH to point at the cloned directory. Then issue:

make gen-proto

riff Commands

• riff init go
• riff create go

riff init go

Initialize a go function

Synopsis

Generate the function based on a shared '.so' library file specified as the filename and exported symbol name specified as the handler.

For example, type:

riff init go -i words -l go -n rot13 --handler=Encode

to generate the resource definitions using sensible defaults.

riff init go [flags]

Options

      --handler string   the name of the function handler (name of Exported go function) (default "{{ .TitleCase .FunctionName }}")
  -h, --help             help for go

Options inherited from parent commands

  -a, --artifact string          path to the function artifact, source code or jar file
      --config string            config file (default is $HOME/.riff.yaml)
      --dry-run                  print generated function artifacts content to stdout only
  -f, --filepath string          path or directory used for the function resources (defaults to the current directory)
      --force                    overwrite existing functions artifacts
  -i, --input string             the name of the input topic (defaults to function name)
      --invoker-version string   the version of the invoker to use when building containers
  -n, --name string              the name of the function (defaults to the name of the current directory)
  -o, --output string            the name of the output topic (optional)
  -u, --useraccount string       the Docker user account to be used for the image repository (default "current OS user")
  -v, --version string           the version of the function image (default "0.0.1")

SEE ALSO

• riff init - Initialize a function

riff create go

Create a go function

Synopsis

Create the function based on a shared '.so' library file specified as the filename and exported symbol name specified as the handler.

For example, type:

riff create go -i words -l go -n rot13 --handler=Encode

to create the resource definitions, and apply the resources, using sensible defaults.

riff create go [flags]

Options

      --handler string     the name of the function handler (name of Exported go function) (default "{{ .TitleCase .FunctionName }}")
  -h, --help               help for go
      --namespace string   the namespace used for the deployed resources (defaults to kubectl's default)
      --push               push the image to Docker registry

Options inherited from parent commands

  -a, --artifact string          path to the function artifact, source code or jar file
      --config string            config file (default is $HOME/.riff.yaml)
      --dry-run                  print generated function artifacts content to stdout only
  -f, --filepath string          path or directory used for the function resources (defaults to the current directory)
      --force                    overwrite existing functions artifacts
  -i, --input string             the name of the input topic (defaults to function name)
      --invoker-version string   the version of the invoker to use when building containers
  -n, --name string              the name of the function (defaults to the name of the current directory)
  -o, --output string            the name of the output topic (optional)
  -u, --useraccount string       the Docker user account to be used for the image repository (default "current OS user")
  -v, --version string           the version of the function image (default "0.0.1")

SEE ALSO

• riff create - Create a function (equivalent to init, build, apply)