Native Rust Extensions to Enhance Performance and Scalability

[mariotaddeucci]

I’d like to propose implementing native Rust extensions/middlewares in Robyn to handle common and critical tasks. The idea is to leverage Rust's performance to reduce the load on the Python layer, providing better scalability and efficiency.

Topic 1: Gzip Compression for Responses

Responses are automatically compressed before being sent to the client, saving bandwidth and speeding up data transmission. Since this would be processed in Rust, the performance impact is minimal compared to a Python-based solution. This is particularly beneficial for applications serving large data payloads, such as streaming APIs or large JSON responses.

Topic 2: Basic JWT Validation

Invalid requests are discarded immediately at the Rust layer before they reach Python. This significantly reduces server load, ensuring only requests with valid tokens are processed. The validation includes:

• Checking if the token has expired (exp);
• Ensuring required headers are present;
• Verifying the JWT signature.

This approach enhances security and efficiency, especially in high-traffic scenarios requiring frequent authentication.

Topic 3: Local Cache Based on HTTP Headers

Responses are cached locally, respecting HTTP headers such as Cache-Control and Expires. This reduces response times for repeated requests without requiring recomputation or database queries.
The stale-while-revalidate functionality ensures:

• Expired cache entries are served while the background process revalidates them, reducing delays and maintaining data freshness.

This significantly improves user experience and decreases backend load.

Expected Benefits

• Superior Performance: Reduces response time and enhances Robyn’s efficiency in handling intensive operations.
• Improved Scalability: Avoids bottlenecks in the Python layer by offloading critical tasks to Rust.
• Ease of Use: Configurable extensions eliminate the need for external solutions for common operations.