We are excited to announce the release of Bacalhau v1.6.0, introducing a new communication architecture that significantly improves the reliability and resilience of distributed compute networks.
At the heart of this release is the new messaging protocol, a complete redesign of node communication that brings significant improvements to network reliability:
Key Benefits
Self-Healing Network: Compute nodes and orchestrators automatically reconnect and sync after network interruptions
Offline-First Operation: Compute nodes can start and operate even when disconnected from the orchestrator
Automatic State Recovery: When nodes reconnect, they automatically share all missed job execution information and results
Zero Data Loss: Ensures no job execution data or results are lost during network disruptions
Seamless Recovery: Network interruptions are handled transparently without requiring manual intervention
Technical Improvements
Reliable Message Delivery: Ordered, at-least-once message delivery between nodes
Automatic Recovery: Built-in failure detection and recovery mechanisms
Connection Health Monitoring: Proactive health checks and connection management
Event-Based Architecture: Decoupled event processing from message delivery
Efficient Checkpointing: Maintains system state for reliable recovery
Backward Compatibility: Maintains compatibility with v1.5 orchestrators
Direct Result Downloads: Download job results directly from the interface
Simplified Configuration: Automatic request routing eliminates manual IP configuration
Improved Architecture: Streamlined backend setup while maintaining security
Reverse Proxy Support: Added capability to run orchestrator behind a reverse proxy
Agent Configuration: New bacalhau agent config command to inspect agent configuration
TLS Support: Added TLS encryption support for NATS communication
Better Logging: Implemented more human-readable logging patterns
Bacalhau v1.6.0 maintains backward compatibility while introducing the new BMP:
Compute nodes maintain compatibility with v1.5 orchestrators, and vice versa
Support for re-handshake from legacy clients
We're excited for you to experience the enhanced reliability and resilience provided by the BMP in Bacalhau v1.6.0. This release represents a significant architectural advancement in making distributed computing more robust and dependable.