Exploring BEAM-based systems with erlang.pl

Processes running on the BEAM virtual machine share data through message passing. If certain processes receive more messages than they can handle, their inbox queue starts growing. Over time it can lead to bottlenecks. Similarly distributed systems share data through network packets sent between nodes and in some cases it can lead to network congestions. Gaining visibility into message passing and network traffic is of great importance as it helps to understand the behaviour of the entire system.

During this talk we will explore the behaviour of two systems under load - one based on Erlang (MongooseIM) and one based on Elixir (Phoenix Channels). We will demonstrate the erlang.pltool and observe if its graphical representation of processes and clustering can help us learn something about the characteristics of the two systems.

About the speaker:Michał Ślaski started programming in Erlang at the AGH - University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland, when working on his Masters prototyping massively multiplayer online games. After graduating, he joined Erlang Solutions on key projects around the world. He is currently heading Erlang Solutions' Krakow office in Poland, keeping the Erlang flag up high.