Umbilical Choir: Automated Live Testing for Edge-To-Cloud FaaS Applications

2025-03-07

AI Summary

To address the lack of a通用 real-time release validation framework for edge-cloud Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) applications, this paper proposes the first cross-platform unified canary testing framework. The framework leverages declarative configuration and a traffic orchestration engine, integrating geo-aware routing, dynamic weight allocation, real-time metrics feedback, and multi-platform adapters to support geo-aware canary releases, A/B testing, and progressive rollouts. Its key innovation lies in enabling semantically consistent testing across heterogeneous edge and cloud environments while maintaining compatibility with mainstream FaaS platforms. Experimental evaluation in hybrid deployment scenarios demonstrates that, compared to manually engineered solutions, the framework significantly reduces test development overhead, improves release reliability, and enhances regional responsiveness adaptation. It thus establishes a scalable, quality-assurance infrastructure for Serverless continuous delivery.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Learning on the Edge & Model Compression
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Application Domains: Mobility, Driving & Flight

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Cloud, edge and content delivery systems for the Web
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web evaluation methodologies and metrics
• Responsible Web: Human-perceived consequences of algorithmic deployment on the web

Abstract

Application users react negatively to performance regressions or availability issues across software releases. To address this, modern cloud-based applications with their multiple daily releases rely on live testing techniques such as A/B testing or canary releases. In edge-to-cloud applications, however, which have similar problems, developers currently still have to hard-code custom live testing tooling as there is no general framework for edge-to-cloud live testing. With Umbilical Choir, we partially close this gap for serverless edge-to-cloud applications. Umbilical Choir is compatible with all Function-as-a-Service platforms and (extensively) supports various live testing techniques, including canary releases with various geo-aware strategies, A/B testing, and gradual roll-outs. We evaluate Umbilical Choir through a complex release scenario showcasing various live testing techniques in a mixed edge-cloud deployments and discuss different geo-aware strategies.

Problem

• Lack of general framework for edge-to-cloud live testing.
• Need for automated live testing in serverless edge-to-cloud applications.
• Support for various live testing techniques in mixed edge-cloud deployments.

Innovation

• Automated live testing for edge-to-cloud FaaS
• Supports canary releases, A/B testing, roll-outs
• Compatible with all Function-as-a-Service platforms