Serialization Module

The Serialization module benchmarks message encoding and decoding performance using X Platform's Xbuf2 binary serialization format.

Overview

Message serialization/deserialization is a critical operation in messaging systems. This benchmark measures the overhead of:

• Encoding: Converting POJO messages to wire format

• Decoding: Converting wire format back to POJOs

The benchmark uses the same Car message model used in the AEP Module canonical benchmark.

Test Program

Class: com.neeve.perf.serialization.Driver

The benchmark can be invoked through the X Platform Interactive CLI or directly.

Message Formats

xbuf2 / xbuf2.serial

Tests serialization with sequential/predictable data:

java -cp "libs/*" com.neeve.perf.serialization.Driver --provider xbuf2.serial

Characteristics:

• Predictable data patterns

• Consistent serialized size

• Best-case performance

xbuf2.random

Tests serialization with random data:

java -cp "libs/*" com.neeve.perf.serialization.Driver --provider xbuf2.random

Characteristics:

• Random data in all fields

• Variable serialized size

• More realistic performance

Test Message

The Car message contains:

Simple Fields:

• timestamp (long)

• serialNumber (int)

• modelYear (short)

• available (boolean)

• code (enum)

• vehicleCode (string)

Complex Fields:

• engine (nested object)

• extras (bit set)

• someNumbers (int array)

Repeated Fields:

• performanceFigures (array of objects)

• fuelFigures (array of objects)

Typical Size: ~200 bytes serialized

Command-Line Parameters

Parameter	Short	Default	Description
--provider	-p	xbuf2	Serialization provider: xbuf2.serial or xbuf2.random

Running the Benchmark

Basic Usage

# Extract distribution
tar xvf nvx-perf-serialization-{version}-dist-linux-x86-64.tar.gz
cd nvx-perf-serialization-{version}

# Run with sequential data
$JAVA_HOME/bin/java -cp "libs/*" com.neeve.perf.serialization.Driver --provider xbuf2.serial

Test with Random Data

$JAVA_HOME/bin/java -cp "libs/*" com.neeve.perf.serialization.Driver --provider xbuf2.random

Interpreting Results

The benchmark outputs median and mean latencies for encoding and decoding operations.

Example Output:

Calculating nanoTime() overhead...
...22 nanos
PROV                      RUN TYPE  SIZE  MED   MEAN
xbuf2.serial              1   ENC   178   245   247
xbuf2.serial              1   DEC   178   238   240
xbuf2.serial              2   ENC   178   243   245
xbuf2.serial              2   DEC   178   236   238
xbuf2.serial              3   ENC   178   244   246
xbuf2.serial              3   DEC   178   237   239

Result Columns

• PROV: Serialization provider

• RUN: Run number (multiple runs for consistency)

• TYPE: Operation type (ENC=encode, DEC=decode)

• SIZE: Serialized size in bytes

• MED: Median latency in nanoseconds

• MEAN: Mean latency in nanoseconds

Typical Results (Linux x86-64)

Operation	Sequential Data	Random Data	Size
Encode	~240-250ns	~250-280ns	~178 bytes
Decode	~235-245ns	~245-275ns	~178 bytes

Performance Characteristics

1. Encode vs Decode:

   • Encoding and decoding have similar overhead

   • Both operations are highly optimized

2. Sequential vs Random:

   • Random data ~5-10% slower due to less predictable access patterns

   • Sequential data represents best-case performance

3. Message Size:

   • Overhead scales roughly linearly with message complexity

   • The Car message is moderately complex

Access Patterns

The benchmark demonstrates two message access patterns:

Indirect Access (POJO)

Standard object-oriented access via getters/setters:

// Encoding
Car car = Car.create();
car.setTimestamp(System.currentTimeMillis());
car.setSerialNumber(12345);
car.setManufacturer("Toyota");
// ... set other fields
byte[] encoded = car.encode();

// Decoding
Car decoded = Car.create();
decoded.decode(encoded);
long timestamp = decoded.getTimestamp();
int serialNumber = decoded.getSerialNumber();
String manufacturer = decoded.getManufacturer();

Direct Access (Serializer/Deserializer)

Zero-copy access via serializers (shown in benchmark code):

// Encoding
Car.Serializer serializer = new Car.Serializer();
serializer.handleTimestamp(System.currentTimeMillis());
serializer.handleSerialNumber(12345);
// ... handle other fields
byte[] encoded = serializer.getEncodedBytes();

// Decoding
Car.Deserializer deserializer = new Car.Deserializer();
deserializer.run(new MyCallback(), encoded);

Direct access is faster (used in high-performance scenarios)

Performance Tuning

For Lowest Latency

1. Use direct serialization (serializer/deserializer)

2. Reuse serializer/deserializer instances

3. Pre-allocate buffers

4. Minimize nested object depth

For Ease of Use

1. Use indirect access (POJO getters/setters)

2. Accept ~10-15% overhead for better code readability

3. Good for most business applications

Comparison with AEP Module

The AEP Module canonical benchmark includes serialization overhead as part of end-to-end latency:

• Serialization Benchmark: ~480ns (encode + decode)

• AEP Benchmark: ~27µs (includes serialization + all other operations)

Serialization represents ~1.7% of end-to-end latency

Best Practices

Message Design

1. Keep messages compact: Fewer fields = faster serialization

2. Use primitives where possible: Avoid excessive nesting

3. Size arrays appropriately: Large arrays increase overhead

4. Consider field ordering: Group frequently-accessed fields

Code Patterns

// GOOD: Reuse serializer instance
Car.Serializer serializer = new Car.Serializer();
for (Car car : cars) {
    serializer.reset();
    // populate serializer
    byte[] encoded = serializer.getEncodedBytes();
}

// BAD: Create new serializer each time
for (Car car : cars) {
    Car.Serializer serializer = new Car.Serializer(); // Allocation overhead!
    byte[] encoded = serializer.getEncodedBytes();
}

Next Steps

• Review AEP Module to see serialization in end-to-end context

• Explore Link Module for messaging transport benchmarks

• Return to Modules Overview for other modules