Roadrunner Laravel Package

Technical Evaluation

Architecture Fit

RoadRunner (RR) is a high-performance PHP application server that replaces traditional Nginx+FPM setups, offering lower latency, better resource utilization, and extensibility via plugins. It aligns well with modern Laravel applications by:

• PSR-7/PSR-17 compliance: Native support for HTTP/2/3, WebSockets, and middleware (e.g., gzip, Prometheus, OTEL).
• Process management: Built-in worker pooling, auto-restarts, and execution time limits reduce operational overhead.
• Protocol diversity: Supports HTTP, gRPC, fCGI, queues (RabbitMQ, Kafka, SQS), and KV stores (Redis, Memcached).
• Observability: OpenTelemetry integration for distributed tracing, metrics, and logging.
• Workflow engine: Temporal.io support for long-running workflows (useful for Laravel Queues or sagas).

Key Laravel integrations:

• Replaces php-fpm with RR’s HTTP server (PSR-7 compatible).
• Can offload queue workers (e.g., laravel-queue-workers) to RR’s job plugin.
• Supports gRPC for high-performance APIs (e.g., Laravel Fortify or custom APIs).
• Enables WebSockets/Broadcast via Centrifugo or native plugins.

Integration Feasibility

Laravel-Specific Considerations:

• Routing: Laravel’s RouteServiceProvider will work with RR’s HTTP plugin, but middleware must be PSR-15 compliant.
• Session/State: RR’s stateless design requires external storage (Redis) for sessions.
• File Uploads: Use RR’s sendfile middleware for efficient file serving.
• Caching: KV plugins (Redis/Memcached) integrate seamlessly with Laravel’s cache drivers.

Technical Risk

Key Questions

1. HTTP Server:
   • How will RR’s HTTP plugin interact with Laravel’s middleware pipeline (e.g., App\Http\Kernel)?
   • Can RR handle Laravel’s TrustProxies middleware for proxy IP parsing?
2. Queue Workers:
   • Will RR’s job plugin support Laravel’s queue retries, failures, and events?
   • How does RR’s worker pooling compare to Laravel Horizon’s supervision?
3. gRPC:
   • Is protobuf extension enabled in the PHP environment?
   • How will gRPC services integrate with Laravel’s service container?
4. WebSockets:
   • Does Centrifugo integration conflict with Laravel Echo/Pusher?
5. Observability:
   • How will OTEL traces correlate with Laravel’s logging (Monolog)?
6. Deployment:
   • How will RR’s configuration (.rr.yaml) be managed in CI/CD (e.g., GitOps)?
   • Can RR’s systemd-like service manager replace Supervisor for Laravel workers?
7. Scaling:
   • How will RR’s horizontal scaling (multiple instances) handle shared state (e.g., cache)?
8. Legacy Code:
   • Will RR break Laravel’s legacy Request/Response classes (non-PSR-7)?

Integration Approach

Stack Fit

RoadRunner is a drop-in replacement for Nginx+FPM but requires adjustments to Laravel’s stack:

• PHP: 8.3+ (recommended for performance).
• Extensions: php-sockets, php-curl, php-zip, php-protobuf (for gRPC).
• Go: 1.25+ (for RR binary).
• Dependencies:
  • PSR-7/PSR-15 compliant middleware (Laravel’s Kernel is PSR-15 compliant).
  • External storage for sessions/cache (Redis, Memcached).
  • Optional: OTEL collector for distributed tracing.

Compatibility Matrix:

Migration Path

1. Phase 1: HTTP Server Replacement

   • Replace Nginx+FPM with RR’s HTTP plugin.
   • Configure .rr.yaml for HTTP server, middleware, and static files.
   • Test PSR-7 middleware pipeline (e.g., auth, CORS).
   • Risk: Middleware conflicts (e.g., TrustProxies).

2. Phase 2: Queue Workers

   • Migrate Laravel queue workers to RR’s job plugin.
   • Configure queue drivers (Redis, Database) in .rr.yaml.
   • Test retries, failures, and events.
   • Risk: Worker pooling differences vs. Horizon.

3. Phase 3: Observability

   • Enable OTEL plugin for distributed tracing.
   • Add Prometheus middleware for metrics.
   • Risk: Trace correlation with Laravel logs.

4. Phase 4: Advanced Features

   • Add gRPC for high-performance APIs.
   • Integrate WebSockets (Centrifugo or native).
   • Implement Temporal workflows for complex logic.
   • Risk: gRPC complexity; workflow learning curve.

5. Phase 5: Deployment

   • Replace Supervisor with RR’s service manager.
   • Configure CI/CD for .rr.yaml updates.
   • Risk: Configuration drift.

Sequencing

Compatibility Checklist

• Laravel middleware is PSR-15 compliant.
• PHP extensions (sockets, protobuf) are installed.
• External storage (Redis) for sessions/cache.
• .rr.yaml configuration validated.
• Queue drivers tested with RR’s job plugin.
• gRPC services (if applicable) protobuf-ready.

Operational Impact

Maintenance