How does SRPC compare to gRPC for C++ microservices?

SRPC offers similar performance but adds multi-protocol support (e.g., bRPC, Thrift) and built-in Workflow integration. gRPC has broader language support and a larger community, while SRPC is optimized for Sogou's ecosystem.

Can SRPC work with existing Apache Thrift services?

Yes, SRPC supports Thrift protocol natively, allowing direct communication with Thrift-based services without protocol translation. You need to use Thrift IDL and generate code accordingly.

How to set up metrics reporting to Prometheus with SRPC?

Enable the AOP metrics module in SRPC configuration; it automatically exposes metrics in Prometheus format. You'll need to point Prometheus to the service's metrics endpoint, as documented in the metrics guide.

Is SRPC suitable for Windows production environments?

SRPC supports Windows, but its primary optimization and production use are on Linux. Windows performance might lag, and community support could be limited compared to Linux.

How to handle asynchronous RPC calls in SRPC?

Use Sogou Workflow's series and parallel patterns to orchestrate asynchronous calls. SRPC clients return tasks that can be integrated into Workflow graphs for non-blocking operations.

What's the performance impact of using the HTTP+JSON gateway?

The gateway adds serialization overhead (JSON vs. binary) and HTTP layer latency. It's useful for interoperability but avoid it for internal C++-to-C++ communication where native protocols are faster.

Open-Awesome

SRPC

Apache-2.0C++v0.10.4

An enterprise-level RPC framework based on C++ Workflow, supporting SRPC, bRPC, tRPC, and Thrift protocols.

GitHub

2.1k stars407 forks0 contributors

What is SRPC?

SRPC is an enterprise-grade RPC framework built on Sogou C++ Workflow, designed for high-performance, low-latency communication between distributed services. It supports multiple RPC protocols like SRPC, bRPC, tRPC, and Thrift, and handles tens of billions of requests daily in production environments. The framework provides built-in observability, compression, and seamless integration with asynchronous workflows.

Target Audience

C++ developers and engineers building high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems, microservices, or cloud-native applications requiring robust RPC communication.

Value Proposition

Developers choose SRPC for its battle-tested performance in production, multi-protocol interoperability, and deep integration with Sogou Workflow for asynchronous programming. Its built-in support for observability standards like OpenTelemetry reduces instrumentation overhead.

Overview

RPC framework based on C++ Workflow. Supports SRPC, Baidu bRPC, Tencent tRPC, thrift protocols.

Use Cases

Best For

Building high-performance microservices in C++
Implementing multi-protocol RPC systems (e.g., bRPC, tRPC, Thrift)
Developing low-latency distributed systems for search, ads, or recommendations
Adding observability (metrics/tracing) to RPC services with OpenTelemetry
Creating HTTP+JSON gateways for polyglot service architectures
Orchestrating asynchronous RPC calls with workflow patterns

Not Ideal For

Teams primarily using languages other than C++ for service development
Small-scale or monolithic applications where RPC overhead is unnecessary
Projects requiring extensive third-party integrations outside the Sogou ecosystem
Rapid prototyping scenarios needing zero-configuration or managed RPC solutions

Pros & Cons

Pros

Production-Proven Scale

Handles tens of billions of daily requests in Sogou's search and ad systems, with detailed benchmarks showing high QPS and low latency under load.

Multi-Protocol Interoperability

Supports SRPC, bRPC, tRPC, and Thrift protocols natively, allowing seamless integration with diverse RPC systems without gateway overhead.

Built-in Observability

Integrates AOP modules for automatic metrics and tracing to OpenTelemetry and Prometheus, reducing manual instrumentation effort.

Workflow Orchestration

Fully compatible with Sogou Workflow for asynchronous task management, enabling complex parallel and series RPC calls with upstream services.

Cons

C++-Locked Core

Native clients and servers are C++-only; the HTTP+JSON gateway is a workaround for polyglot support, adding latency and complexity.

Sogou Ecosystem Dependency

Deep integration with Sogou Workflow creates vendor lock-in, limiting flexibility if migrating to other workflow or RPC frameworks.

Setup and Tooling Hurdles

Requires manual code generation with srpc_generator and protoc, plus specific compilation flags, making initial setup more involved than plug-and-play alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

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