Unikernels: When you should and when you shouldn't

Talk at LinuxCon 2016 (both in Toronto and Berlin)

Transcript

1. Unikernels!
 When you should and when you shouldn’t ContainerCon EU 6 Oct 2016 @amirmc Amir Chaudhry … on behalf of many others!
2. About me @amirmc Work at Docker
 … in Cambridge, UK I have more hair on my face since this pic
3. Software today… @amirmc
4. …is an application … Software today… @amirmc
5. …is an application … … on top of an Operating System. Software today… @amirmc
6. Software today… @amirmc
7. Software today… @amirmc
8. Code you care about Code the OS insists you need @amirmc
9. Code you care about Code the OS insists you need @amirmc
10. Software today… … is built locally… @amirmc
11. Software today… … is built locally… … but deployed remotely… @amirmc
12. Software today… … is built locally… … but deployed remotely… @amirmc … very remotely.
13. Software today… @amirmc
14. Software today… …is complex! Even though most apps
 are single-purpose @amirmc
15. Complexity is the enemy… More pieces -> tricky config Duplication -> inefficiency Large sizes -> long boot times More stuff -> larger attack surface @amirmc
16. Things are getting easier
17. BUILD Developer Workflows SHIP Registry Services RUN Management Docker for Mac and Docker Trusted Registry Docker Universal Control Plane Docker Cloud Docker Container Engine Ecosystem Plugins and Integrations Docker Containers as a Service Platform
18. An extreme view? Disentangle applications from the OS Break up OS functionality into modular components Link only the system functionality your app needs Target alternative platforms from a single codebase @amirmc
19. An extreme view? Disentangle applications from the OS Break up OS functionality into modular components Link only the system functionality your app needs Target alternative platforms from a single codebase Unikernels! @amirmc
20. Unikernels Model is “Just enough OS” for your specific app. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unikernel @amirmc Using a modular stack, every application is compiled into its own specialised OS, targeted for the cloud or embedded devices
21. “Unikernels and Docker?”
22. Continuum Disentangle applications from the OS Break up OS functionality into modular components Link only the system functionality your app needs Target alternative platforms from a single codebase @amirmc
23. • LING • MirageOS • OSv • Rumprun • runtime.js • ClickOS • Clive • Drawbridge • HaLVM • IncludeOS @amirmc Unikernels
24. Two broad approaches Consider legacy @amirmc Clean Slate Unikernels
25. Two broad approaches Consider legacy @amirmc Clean Slate Unikernels
26. Two broad approaches @amirmc Clean Slate Unikernels
27. MirageOS
28. MirageOS unikernel } @amirmc
29. MirageOS @amirmc Target different environments
30. MirageOS @amirmc
31. unikernel } MirageOS Familiar development cycle Broad deployment scenarios @amirmc
32. unikernel } MirageOS Familiar development cycle Broad deployment scenarios Target different environments Your usual tools @amirmc
33. Demo:
 Build on a Mac
 Deploy to IoT @amirmc
34. • Build and run an app in a Linux container • Retarget app for ARM backend • Deploy artefact onto an ARM device @amirmc
35. Demo:
 2048 game
36. Demo
 Guide 1 2 3 4
37. • Built and ran an app in a Linux container! • Retargeted app for ARM backend! • Deployed artefact onto an ARM device! @amirmc
38. • Rewrote TLS • Functional core • Less code Bitcoin
 Piñata
41. 8.2MB
 Unikernel 102 kloc 2560
 kloc ~200MB
 Full OS Contains everything
 No extra stuff! Much smaller attack surface
42. 8.2MB
 Unikernel 102 kloc 2560
 kloc ~200MB
 Full OS Contains everything
 No extra stuff! Much smaller attack surface
43. Unikernel Recap • Highly specialised • Continuum with containers • Robust deployments • Everything’s a library! @amirmc
44. Deployments
45. Deployments
46. Deployments
47. So when should you use them?
48. Software today… …is complex! @amirmc … but it depends. Complexity is relative
 (kind of) Complexity is the enemy…
49. Right tool for the job @amirmc
50. • Single ‘service’ • Distributed system • Independent deployment • Diversity of tech choices Unikernel Properties Microservices @amirmc
51. Pathway to unikernels?
52. Monolith
53. Monolith
55. Microservices
56. Monolith Microservices unikernels @amirmc
57. Production ready? It depends!
60. “Hands on” Are you a mechanic? “Works out of the box” Seeking convenience? @amirmc
61. unikernel.org Still early days! Thanks for listening!
 
 Questions?