WebAssembly: Putting Code and Data Where They Belong

At the ScyllaDB Summit, discussions on WebAssembly (Wasm) highlighted its transformative potential in the data and database sectors, particularly through talks by experts Brian Sletten and Piotr Sarna. Sletten emphasized Wasm's ability to challenge traditional assumptions about data storage and code execution, advocating for a model where applications and databases can operate more cohesively across various environments, from cloud to edge computing. Sarna introduced libSQL, a fork of SQLite designed for distributed systems and edge computing, enhancing offline-first applications through Wasm-powered dynamic functions. The summit underscored a shift from centralized "web scale" big data to decentralized small data systems, allowing more flexibility and efficiency in data handling and application deployment. The conversation also touched on the evolving landscape of programming languages, with Rust and LLVM emerging as key players in optimizing performance and safety. These discussions point to a future where data and computational architectures are more fluid and adaptive, driven by business and technical needs.