status-im
/
consul
mirror of https://github.com/status-im/consul.git
2
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Projects Releases Wiki Activity

Website: cleanup for intro/vs/serf.html

This commit is contained in:
Ryan Breen 2015-03-09 00:11:11 -04:00
parent 9aad7c14fb
commit 0c3825dda8
1 changed files with 24 additions and 22 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

46
website/source/intro/vs/serf.html.markdown
View File

@ -3,45 +3,47 @@ layout: "intro"
page_title: "Consul vs. Serf" page_title: "Consul vs. Serf"
sidebar_current: "vs-other-serf" sidebar_current: "vs-other-serf"
description: |- description: |-
Serf is a node discovery and orchestration tool and is the only tool discussed so far that is built on an eventually consistent gossip model, with no centralized servers. It provides a number of features, including group membership, failure detection, event broadcasts and a query mechanism. However, Serf does not provide any high-level features such as service discovery, health checking or key/value storage. To clarify, the discovery feature of Serf is at a node level, while Consul provides a service and node level abstraction. Serf is a node discovery and orchestration tool and is the only tool discussed so far that is built on an eventually-consistent gossip model with no centralized servers. It provides a number of features, including group membership, failure detection, event broadcasts, and a query mechanism. However, Serf does not provide any high-level features such as service discovery, health checking or key/value storage. Consul is a complete system providing all of those features.
--- ---
# Consul vs. Serf # Consul vs. Serf
[Serf](https://www.serfdom.io) is a node discovery and orchestration tool and is the only [Serf](https://www.serfdom.io) is a node discovery and orchestration tool and is the only
tool discussed so far that is built on an eventually consistent gossip model, tool discussed so far that is built on an eventually-consistent gossip model
with no centralized servers. It provides a number of features, including group with no centralized servers. It provides a number of features, including group
membership, failure detection, event broadcasts and a query mechanism. However, membership, failure detection, event broadcasts, and a query mechanism. However,
Serf does not provide any high-level features such as service discovery, health Serf does not provide any high-level features such as service discovery, health
checking or key/value storage. To clarify, the discovery feature of Serf is at a node checking or key/value storage. Consul is a complete system providing all of those
level, while Consul provides a service and node level abstraction. features.
Consul is a complete system providing all of those features. In fact, the internal The internal [gossip protocol](/docs/internals/gossip.html) used within Consul is in
[gossip protocol](/docs/internals/gossip.html) used within Consul, is powered by fact powered by the Serf library: Consul leverages the membership and failure detection
the Serf library. Consul leverages the membership and failure detection features, features and builds upon them to add service discovery. By contrast, the discovery
and builds upon them. feature of Serf is at a node level, while Consul provides a service and node level
abstraction.
The health checking provided by Serf is very low level, and only indicates if the The health checking provided by Serf is very low level and only indicates if the
agent is alive. Consul extends this to provide a rich health checking system, agent is alive. Consul extends this to provide a rich health checking system
that handles liveness, in addition to arbitrary host and service-level checks. that handles liveness in addition to arbitrary host and service-level checks.
Health checks are integrated with a central catalog that operators can easily Health checks are integrated with a central catalog that operators can easily
query to gain insight into the cluster. query to gain insight into the cluster.
The membership provided by Serf is at a node level, while Consul focuses The membership provided by Serf is at a node level, while Consul focuses
on the service level abstraction, with a single node to multiple service model. on the service level abstraction, mapping single nodes to multiple services.
This can be simulated in Serf using tags, but it is much more limited, and does This can be simulated in Serf using tags, but it is much more limited and does
not provide useful query interfaces. Consul also makes use of a strongly consistent not provide useful query interfaces. Consul also makes use of a strongly-consistent
Catalog, while Serf is only eventually consistent. catalog while Serf is only eventually-consistent.
In addition to the service level abstraction and improved health checking, In addition to the service level abstraction and improved health checking,
Consul provides a key/value store and support for multiple datacenters. Consul provides a key/value store and support for multiple datacenters.
Serf can run across the WAN but with degraded performance. Consul makes use Serf can run across the WAN but with degraded performance. Consul makes use
of [multiple gossip pools](/docs/internals/architecture.html), so that of [multiple gossip pools](/docs/internals/architecture.html) so that
the performance of Serf over a LAN can be retained while still using it over the performance of Serf over a LAN can be retained while still using it over
a WAN for linking together multiple datacenters. a WAN for linking together multiple datacenters.
Consul is opinionated in its usage, while Serf is a more flexible and Consul is opinionated in its usage while Serf is a more flexible and
general purpose tool. Consul uses a CP architecture, favoring consistency over general purpose tool. In [CAP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAP_theorem) terms,
availability. Serf is a AP system, and sacrifices consistency for availability. Consul uses a CP architecture, favoring consistency over availability. Serf is an
This means Consul cannot operate if the central servers cannot form a quorum, AP system and sacrifices consistency for availability. This means Consul cannot
while Serf will continue to function under almost all circumstances. operate if the central servers cannot form a quorum while Serf will continue to
function under almost all circumstances.