For AWS Lambda, which is better "Workstation GC" or "Server GC".

[sudoudaisuke]

Hi there.
I have read some blog that "Workstation GC" is better than "Server GC" for AWS lambda. But I can't find AWS document for dotnet GC. Could you tell me which one is better?

https://levelup.gitconnected.com/improving-memory-usage-and-stability-on-aws-lambda-net-7c0c47c5b52e
https://dev.to/aws-builders/optimize-memory-usage-in-aws-lambda-net-with-a-simple-fix-412h

My project settings

• dotnet 6
• Http API (ApiGateway)
• Use Provisioning Concurrency
• Use DynamoDB

[ashishdhingra]

@sudoudaisuke Most of the time you need not manage garbage collection by yourself if you are disposing off the resources properly in your application logic. Based on the 1st article, it proposes the following:

There are 2 types of garbage collection in dotnet core: Workstation GC and Server GC. Server GC is optimized for server usage, under the assumption that CPU usage is more highly prioritized than memory. This type of garbage collection allows for much higher memory usage, which might be no problem on a big server, but for Lambda functions where memory is very often scarce (we are paying for it after all!) this might not always be the best approach. Workstation GC can in many cases be more performant when memory is limited, such as for serverless functions or docker containers with limited resources available.

So, it appears that Workstation GC might be the better approach for Lambda environment where memory is limited.

[sudoudaisuke]

I found Microsoft document.

## GC using Docker and small containers
When multiple containerized apps are running on one machine, Workstation GC might be more performant than Server GC. For more information, see [Running with Server GC in a Small Container](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/running-with-server-gc-in-a-small-container-scenario-part-0/) and [Running with Server GC in a Small Container Scenario Part 1 – Hard Limit for the GC Heap](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/running-with-server-gc-in-a-small-container-scenario-part-1-hard-limit-for-the-gc-heap/).

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/performance/memory?view=aspnetcore-5.0#gc-using-docker-and-small-containers

[github-actions[bot]]

Hello! Reopening this discussion to make it searchable.