Optimizing WebSocket Connections on Solana: Speeding Up Log Subscriptions
As a developer working with Solana, you are probably familiar with its fast and scalable blockchain platform. However, when it comes to real-time log subscriptions over WebSockets, latency can be a significant bottleneck. In this article, we will explore ways to optimize WebSocket connections on Solana, specifically focusing on reducing the ~17 second delay that comes from the log subscription method.
Current Release
When using the subscribe method with jsonrpc version 2.0, the Solana implementation has a default timeout of 17 seconds. This means that if you are not actively monitoring the log subscription process, it can take ~17 seconds to receive a response.
Optimizing WebSocket Connections
To speed up log subscriptions and reduce latency, we need to examine the underlying code that handles this request. Let’s dive into how Solana implements this method:
const Log = {
subscribe: async(channelName) => {
const socket = new WebsocketChannel(channelName);
wait socket.onMessage((message) => {
// Processing log message here...
});
return socket;
},
};
async function main() {
const channelName = 'my_channel_name';
const logSubscription = wait Log.subscribe(channelName);
try {
while (true) {
const message = wait logSubscription.send(JSON.stringify({
jsonrpc: '2.0',
method: 'getLogCount',
parameters: [channelName],
}));
console.log(message);
}
} catch (error) {
// This is where you handle errors...
}
}
Improving WebSocket Connection
Based on our analysis, we can improve WebSocket connection by optimizing the subscribe method and taking advantage of more advanced WebSockets features.
- Use a dedicated websocket channel
: Instead of using the default `
jsonrpc` version 2.0, consider creating a separate websocket channel for each log subscription request. This will reduce the overhead associated with the default timeout.
const Log = {
subscribe: async(channelName) => {
const socket = new WebsocketChannel(channelName);
return socket;
},
};
- Implement a message queue: Implement a message queue to process log messages asynchronously. This allows you to process messages at your own pace and not rely on direct WebSocket callbacks.
const Log = {
subscribe: async(channelName) => {
const socket = new WebsocketChannel(channelName);
return socket;
},
getLogMessageQueue: async() => {
const queue = [];
// Add log messages to the queue here...
return queue;
},
};
- Use a more efficient message format
: Consider using a more efficient message format such as “Buffer” instead of “JSON”, which will reduce the overhead associated with deserialization.
const Log = {
subscribe: async(channelName) => {
const socket = new WebsocketChannel(channelName);
return socket;
},
};
Conclusion
By implementing these optimizations, you can significantly reduce the latency of around 17 seconds associated with log subscriptions on Solana. This will allow you to receive log data in real time and react accordingly, ensuring that your application remains responsive and efficient.
Be sure to test these changes in your development environment before deploying them to production. Happy coding!