@fluidframework/container-runtime

Using Fluid Framework libraries

When taking a dependency on a Fluid Framework library's public APIs, we recommend using a ^ (caret) version range, such as ^1.3.4. While Fluid Framework libraries may use different ranges with interdependencies between other Fluid Framework libraries, library consumers should always prefer ^.

If using any of Fluid Framework's unstable APIs (for example, its beta APIs), we recommend using a more constrained version range, such as ~.

Installation

To get started, install the package by running the following command:

npm i @fluidframework/container-runtime

Importing from this package

This package leverages package.json exports to separate its APIs by support level. For more information on the related support guarantees, see API Support Levels.

To access the public (SemVer) APIs, import via @fluidframework/container-runtime like normal.

To access the legacy APIs, import via @fluidframework/container-runtime/legacy.

API Documentation

API documentation for @fluidframework/container-runtime is available at https://fluidframework.com/docs/apis/container-runtime.

Data Virtualization For DataStores (Work in Progress)

It's a capability to exclude some content from initial snapshot (used when loading container) and thus improve boot performance of a container. Excluded content could be loaded at a later time when it's required.

Motivation for Data Virtualization

This section talks about how the system used to work before Data virtualization. Currently, the content of whole file is downloaded in one go. Due to limitation of data virtualization, FF holds all blobs in snapshot as those might be required in the future. Any delayed loading (through FF APIs) results in loading state of datastores at a sequence number of snapshot we booted from, up until the current sequence number by applying the pending ops for that datastore. While application may choose not to load some data stores immediately on boot (and realize some saving in time and memory by not allocating appropriate app state for such datastores), FF still pays the costs for such content. It also continues to pay the cost for all such content indefinitely, even if those datastores were loaded.

Improvement with Data Virtualization

With this, we will provide a capability to:

• Exclude some sub-trees from snapshot payload, thus allowing faster transfer times / boot times and smaller initial memory footprint.
• Ability to delay-load data stores later.

Container Runtime Apis like IContainerRuntimeBase.createDataStore and IContainerRuntimeBase.createDetachedDataStore provides an argument loadingGroupId which allows apps to mark a datastore at time of creation currently. Every data store is assigned a groupID. Not providing groupID (on API) means that default ID is used. This groupId represents the group of the datastore within a container or its snapshot. When a container is loaded initially, only datastores which belongs to default group are fetched from service and can be loaded on demand when requested by user. This decreases the amount of data which needs to be fetched during load and hence provides faster boot times for the container. Attempting to load any datastore within a non-default group results in fetching all content/datastores marked with same groupId. So, one network will be required to fetch content for a group when a datastore from a group is requested by an application. In advanced app scenarios, app would want to make datastores with a specific group Id, based on how it wants to load a certain group at once, and not load the datastores that aren't part of the group. By effectively using groupID, app will be able to improve boot times by not fetching unnecessary groups at load. So to summarize, when datastore is assigned to a group, content of such data store will not be loaded with initial load of container. It will be loaded only when any datastore with such groupID is realized. This will improve the boot perf. Data virtualization or providing the loadingGroupId will however decrease the performance of loading of those datastores as one network call would be required before loading. However, providing same loadingGroupId to put some data stores in same group, would improve performance for their loading as compared to providing a different group Id to each of these datastores as then one network call will be required to fetch snapshot for that group of datastores rather than one network call for each datastore. So, the datastores which can get fairly big in size content wise and which are not required to be loaded on boot, can be put under a non-default groupId.

Minimum Client Requirements

These are the platform requirements for the current version of Fluid Framework Client Packages. These requirements err on the side of being too strict since within a major version they can be relaxed over time, but not made stricter. For Long Term Support (LTS) versions this can require supporting these platforms for several years.

It is likely that other configurations will work, but they are not supported: if they stop working, we do not consider that a bug. If you would benefit from support for something not listed here, file an issue and the product team will evaluate your request. When making such a request please include if the configuration already works (and thus the request is just that it becomes officially supported), or if changes are required to get it working.

Supported Runtimes

• NodeJs ^20.10.0 except that we will drop support for it when NodeJs 20 loses its upstream support on 2026-04-30, and will support a newer LTS version of NodeJS (22) at least 1 year before 20 is end-of-life. This same policy applies to NodeJS 22 when it is end of life (2027-04-30).
• Modern browsers supporting the es2022 standard library: in response to asks we can add explicit support for using babel to polyfill to target specific standards or runtimes (meaning we can avoid/remove use of things that don't polyfill robustly, but otherwise target modern standards).

Supported Tools

• TypeScript 5.4:
  • All strict options are supported.
  • strictNullChecks is required.
  • Configuration options deprecated in 5.0 are not supported.
  • exactOptionalPropertyTypes is currently not fully supported. If used, narrowing members of Fluid Framework types types using in, Reflect.has, Object.hasOwn or Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty should be avoided as they may incorrectly exclude undefined from the possible values in some cases.
• webpack 5
  • We are not intending to be prescriptive about what bundler to use. Other bundlers which can handle ES Modules should work, but webpack is the only one we actively test.

Module Resolution

Node16, NodeNext, or Bundler resolution should be used with TypeScript compilerOptions to follow the Node.js v12+ ESM Resolution and Loading algorithm. Node10 resolution is not supported as it does not support Fluid Framework's API structuring pattern that is used to distinguish stable APIs from those that are in development.

Module Formats

• ES Modules: ES Modules are the preferred way to consume our client packages (including in NodeJs) and consuming our client packages from ES Modules is fully supported.

• CommonJs: Consuming our client packages as CommonJs is supported only in NodeJS and only for the cases listed below. This is done to accommodate some workflows without good ES Module support. If you have a workflow you would like included in this list, file an issue. Once this list of workflows motivating CommonJS support is empty, we may drop support for CommonJS one year after notice of the change is posted here.

  • Testing with Jest (which lacks stable ESM support due to unstable APIs in NodeJs)

Contribution Guidelines

There are many ways to contribute to Fluid.

• Participate in Q&A in our GitHub Discussions.
• Submit bugs and help us verify fixes as they are checked in.
• Review the source code changes.
• Contribute bug fixes.

Detailed instructions for working in the repo can be found in the Wiki.

This project has adopted the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct. For more information see the Code of Conduct FAQ or contact [e-mail] with any additional questions or comments.

This project may contain Microsoft trademarks or logos for Microsoft projects, products, or services. Use of these trademarks or logos must follow Microsoft’s Trademark & Brand Guidelines. Use of Microsoft trademarks or logos in modified versions of this project must not cause confusion or imply Microsoft sponsorship.

Help

Not finding what you're looking for in this README? Check out fluidframework.com.

Still not finding what you're looking for? Please file an issue.

Thank you!

Trademark

This project may contain Microsoft trademarks or logos for Microsoft projects, products, or services.

Use of these trademarks or logos must follow Microsoft's Trademark & Brand Guidelines.

Use of Microsoft trademarks or logos in modified versions of this project must not cause confusion or imply Microsoft sponsorship.