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Container Image Optimization

2 posts · Feb 2021 – Jan 2026

What this trail covers

Grab is optimizing container images to reduce startup times for data platforms like Airflow and Spark Connect. This involves implementing Docker image lazy loading using eStargz and Seekable OCI (SOCI) technologies, which significantly reduces image pull times and improves auto-scaling performance. The team has tuned SOCI configurations for further gains and observed substantial improvements in P95 startup times in production.

All Grab trails
  1. Docker lazy loading at Grab: Accelerating container startup timesThis post details the implementation and results of using eStargz and Seekable OCI (SOCI) for Docker image lazy loading to reduce container startup times for data platforms. It presents benchmark and production performance improvements (30-40% faster startup times for Airflow and Spark Connect), discusses the technical background of container root filesystems, traditional image pull, and remote snapshotters. It also covers the specifics of the eStargz and SOCI formats, and provides insights into SOCI configuration tuning for AWS ECR environments, leading to a 60% improvement in image download time.
  2. One Small Step Closer to Containerising Service BinariesThis post details the use of the `go-binsize-viz` tool to analyze and reduce the size of Go service binaries. It outlines a methodology for building consistent binaries, using the tool to visualize symbol contributions, and identifies that including all message formats for stream-related services in every binary was a significant contributor to bloat. The post also provides best practices for code architecture to minimize binary size, such as separating interfaces from auto-generated code and avoiding flat directory structures.