Overview of Wasm

In this chapter, we will mainly explain the following about Wasm:

• Overview of Wasm Runtime
• Pros and Cons of Wasm
• Use cases of Wasm

Overview of Wasm Runtime

As mentioned in the previous chapter, Wasm is a virtual instruction set. The Wasm Runtime, which reads and executes these virtual instructions, is essentially a virtual machine itself.

When we talk about virtual machines, we can think of Java VM or RubyVM, and Wasm Runtime falls into the same category. Java and Ruby compile source code to generate bytecode, which is then executed by the virtual machine. Similarly, Wasm follows a similar process.

However, as shown in Figure 1, a notable feature of Wasm is its ability to be compiled from various languages such as C, Go, and Rust.

Figure 1

This book will essentially implement a virtual machine similar to Java VM or RubyVM. The Wasm Runtime itself is not very complex, capable of performing numerical calculations and memory operations that it possesses.

One might wonder if tasks like standard output are possible. In fact, resource operations (such as file or network operations) are not included in the Wasm Spec but are part of the WebAssembly System Interface (WASI) specification. WASI consists of a collection of POSIX-like system call functions, allowing resource operations by calling these functions.

For this instance, we will implement the fd_write function of WASI to output Hello World.

Pros and Cons of Wasm

The author's perspective on the pros and cons of Wasm are as follows.

Pros

• Secure Execution
  Without using WASI, Wasm Runtime generally does not have an impact outside the runtime, making it a kind of sandbox environment.
  For example, it is secure as it cannot extract confidential information from environment variables.
• Portability
  Wasm is independent of the OS and CPU, allowing execution anywhere with a runtime.
  It can be executed in major browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
  Besides major browsers, there are runtimes like Wasmtime and wazero for server-side execution.
• Language Diversity
  Wasm can be compiled from multiple languages, enabling the utilization of assets from various languages.
  Additionally, it can import other Wasm binaries, facilitating the sharing of language assets across language barriers.

Cons

• Lack of Support in Older Browsers
  Although rare, older browsers may not support Wasm, leading to the inability to execute Wasm binaries.
  In such cases, using a library like polywasm can enable running Wasm.
• Evolving Technology
  Wasm is a relatively new technology, with ongoing specification extensions alongside WASI.
  As a result, the ecosystem is still maturing, making it challenging to build full-fledged applications solely with Wasm.
• Performance Depends on Runtime
  Performance differences can arise based on the implementation of the runtime.
  For instance, executing in Chrome and Wasmtime involves different runtimes, necessitating consideration of this aspect in benchmark comparisons.
  When comparing the execution speed of Wasm binaries, measurements should be done with the same runtime, and when measuring runtime speed, it should be done with the same Wasm binary.

Use Cases of Wasm

We will introduce several examples of scenarios where Wasm is being utilized.

Plugin Systems

Due to Wasm's ability to be compiled from multiple languages, it is often adopted in building plugin mechanisms. For example, the terminal multiplexer called zellij utilizes Wasm. For more details, refer to this link.

In addition, the Envoy Proxy server also provides a mechanism for extending functionality using Wasm.

Serverless Applications

By using the spin framework, you can build serverless applications with Wasm. In addition to spin, there are other options such as wasmCloud and Wasmer Edge.

Containers

In addition to Linux containers in Docker and Kubernetes, you can also use Wasm. To explain how Docker and Kubernetes run Linux containers and Wasm, an overview is provided based on Figure 2.

Figure 2

• containerd
  • Manages container images (such as retrieval and deletion) and operations on containers (such as creation and start)
  • Also known as a high-level container runtime
• runc
  • Actually creates and starts Linux containers
  • Also known as a low-level container runtime
• containerd-shim
  • Bridges containerd and runc
  • Essentially just an execution binary
• containerd-shim-*
  • Bridges containerd and Wasm Runtime
  • Essentially just an execution binary
  • There are execution binaries like containerd-shim-wasmtime and containerd-shim-wasmedge
  • When implementing containerd-shim-* in Rust, use runwasi

Summary

This chapter provides a brief introduction to the Wasm Runtime and the ecosystem using Wasm. In the next chapter, we will actually use Wasm with Wasmtime.