November 2022 Summaries

Edge Config is an ultra-low latency data store for configuration data that is globally distributed on Vercel's Edge Network, allowing near-instant reads of configuration data from various applications and services. It uses a push-based Content Delivery Network (CDN) architecture to replicate data to all regions before it's requested, providing always-available and instant access to configuration data. The system is optimized for fast, inexpensive reads and infrequent writes, with most lookups returning in 5 ms or less and 99% of reads under 15 ms. It's designed to support A/B testing, feature flags, complex redirects, request blocking rules, and rapid experimentation, offering improved performance and reduced layout shifts. The Edge Config API allows for quick queries and retrieval of configuration values, making it easy to integrate with various applications and services.

Edge Config, a newly introduced ultra-low latency data store by Vercel, enables rapid, globally distributed reads for configuration data, suitable for tasks like A/B testing and feature flag management. Unlike traditional pull-based CDNs, Edge Config uses a push-based approach, actively replicating data to all regions preemptively, ensuring instant availability without requiring deployments. Data is structured as JSON for fast, infrequent writes, with most read operations completing in under 5 milliseconds. This storage product enhances performance by minimizing network requests, as demonstrated by Speedway Motors, which saw improvements in Core Web Vitals and SEO through its use. The API allows for quick querying of configuration values, and users can manage configurations across different accounts using connection strings. Edge Config is generally available, with integrations like Statsig and HappyKit supporting its deployment.

The Next.js 13 documentation has been made more collaborative by enabling the new Vercel commenting feature in beta on its docs, allowing over 2,000 developers to leave feedback with 509 discussion threads and 347 resolved issues. This feature enables teams to ship faster through streamlined feedback loops, addressing user feedback directly without adding extra tools or defining additional workflows. The commenting product was originally designed for private usage but has been successfully used in public sites like the Next.js Conf page and weekly changelogs, providing improved context and enabling the team to quickly understand the exact parts of the UI that need improving. With comments on Preview Deployments, teams can handle a larger amount of feedback without feeling overwhelmed, act on feedback faster and more precisely while spending less time figuring out where issues are located, and iterate on improvements faster than ever.