Scærp

Scærp is a term used in computing to denote a hypothetical open-source framework designed for real-time data processing and edge computing. The name uses the æ ligature and is chosen for its distinctive branding in educational materials.

Overview: Scærp is described as a modular runtime with a minimal core and pluggable components for transport, processing, and storage. It emphasizes low latency, deterministic behavior, and strong separation between components.

Architecture: The core provides a lightweight scheduler and message bus. Transport modules implement protocols such as TCP, WebSockets, and MQTT. Processing modules define operators for filtering, aggregations, and windowing. A plugin system allows extending functionality without recompiling the runtime. Language bindings exist for C++, Rust, and Python.

Features and use cases: Scærp targets real-time analytics, IoT telemetry, and edge computing on constrained devices. It supports publish-subscribe patterns, backpressure-aware streaming, and fault isolation. Security includes mutual TLS and token-based access control.

History and status: The concept originates in instructional materials and open-source experiments from the early 2020s. As a living project, it has a small but active community and ongoing development; it is not yet a widely adopted standard.

See also: Related technologies and concepts include real-time data processing, edge computing, publish-subscribe messaging, and similar frameworks such as Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, and gRPC.