ProFaaStinate: Delaying Serverless Function Calls to Optimize Platform Performance

TL;DR

ProFaaStinate introduces delayed execution for serverless functions, improving performance and reducing latency during load peaks without complex platform modifications.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach to delay asynchronous serverless function calls, enhancing efficiency and scalability without deep platform integration.

Findings

54% reduction in request response latency

Prevents system overload during peak loads

Reduces resource usage and costs

Abstract

Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) enables developers to run serverless applications without managing operational tasks. In current FaaS platforms, both synchronous and asynchronous calls are executed immediately. In this paper, we present ProFaaStinate, which extends serverless platforms to enable delayed execution of asynchronous function calls. This allows platforms to execute calls at convenient times with higher resource availability or lower load. ProFaaStinate is able to optimize performance without requiring deep integration into the rest of the platform, or a complex systems model. In our evaluation, our prototype built on top of Nuclio can reduce request response latency and workflow duration while also preventing the system from being overloaded during load peaks. Using a document preparation use case, we show a 54% reduction in average request response latency. This reduction in resource usage benefits both platforms and users as cost savings.