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https://github.com/okbel/serverlesscomputer

A Serverless Computer running on Azure Functions
https://github.com/okbel/serverlesscomputer

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A Serverless Computer running on Azure Functions

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# The World's First Serverless Computer



This project implements an ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) using [Azure Functions](https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/azure-functions/durable/durable-functions-overview?WT.mc_id=serverlesscomputer-GitHub-alvidela) as logic gates. Yes you read that right, we went over the top and put the server back in serverless.



## How does it work?



The logic gates `AND`, `OR` & `NOT`, are implemented using [Activity Functions](https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/azure-functions/durable/durable-functions-types-features-overview?WT.mc_id=serverlesscomputer-GitHub-alvidela#activity-functions).



Using them as building blocks we implemented a [HalfAdder](https://github.com/videlalvaro/ServerlessComputer/blob/master/HalfAdder/index.js), a [FullAdder](https://github.com/videlalvaro/ServerlessComputer/blob/master/FullAdder/index.js), and so on to have a basic [16 Bit Adder chip](https://github.com/videlalvaro/ServerlessComputer/blob/master/Add16/index.js), and a [16 bit Incrementer chip](https://github.com/videlalvaro/ServerlessComputer/blob/master/Inc16/index.js).



The _chips_ are wired together using [Orchestrator Functions](https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/azure-functions/durable/durable-functions-types-features-overview?WT.mc_id=serverlesscomputer-GitHub-alvidela#orchestrator-functions), so for example the [XOR](https://github.com/videlalvaro/ServerlessComputer/blob/master/Xor/index.js) chip calls a [Not](https://github.com/videlalvaro/ServerlessComputer/blob/master/Not/index.js) gate, an [And](https://github.com/videlalvaro/ServerlessComputer/blob/master/And/index.js) gate and an [Or](https://github.com/videlalvaro/ServerlessComputer/blob/master/Or/index.js) to calculate its result.



## ALU Features ##



The ALU follows the design from the [Nand to Tetris project](https://www.nand2tetris.org). In this case it implements the design from the second chapter of the book.



It takes two 16-bit data inputs, `x` and `y`, and 6 bits where the operations of the ALU are specified as follows:



```

zx: zero the x input

nx: negate the x input

zy: zero the y input

ny: negate the y input

f:  function code: 1 for Add, 0 for And

no: negate output

```



The ALU returns a 16-bit output with the result of the desired operation.



See it in action here: [https://alvidela-alu.azurewebsites.net/api/panel](https://alvidela-alu.azurewebsites.net/api/panel)



## How to call the ALU ##



In the future we want to have a nice frontend for the ALU, but for now we can work with curl:



```bash

curl -d "op=000011&x=101&y=10" -X POST https://alvidela-alu.azurewebsites.net/api/panel

```



The parameters are as follows:



```

op: the 6 bits params that set up the ALU as explained above (zx, nx, zy, ny, f, no)

x: 16-bit input (the ALU will normalize it to 16-bits)

y: 16-bit input (the ALU will normalize it to 16-bits)

```



The curl invocation will return a JSON object with a `statusQueryGetUri` key. Use the url there to obtain the return value of the invocation:



```bash

curl https://alvidela-alu.azurewebsites.net/runtime/webhooks/durabletask/instances/someinstanceid\?taskHub\=DurableFunctionsHub\&connection\=Storage\&code\=SomeCode

```



## Project Goals ##



Besides the little joke of implementing a computer like this, the goal is to have it as a project to learn different patterns that can be implemented using [Azure Functions](https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/azure-functions/functions-overview?WT.mc_id=serverlesscomputer-GitHub-alvidela).



In the future, expect a series of articles detailing how we put the different building blocks together until we got a fully functioning ALU.



## Acknowledgments ##



Thanks to my colleagues [Maxime Rouiller](https://github.com/MaximRouiller) and [Anthony Chu](https://github.com/anthonychu) for helping me understand Azure Functions.