Golang benchmark test to compare two built-in Gob and Json RPC servers.

go-rpc_test.go

// The purpose of this source file is to compare transmittion speed of two
// built-in RPCs servers, namely Gob and Json by using blocking calls.

package main

import (
	"net"
	"net/rpc"
	"net/rpc/jsonrpc"
	"testing"
)

const (
	address = "localhost:10080"
	waste   = 1000000
)

const (
	param1 = "Hello "
	param2 = "World"
)

type StringOpsConcatArgs struct {
	Param1 string
	Param2 string
}

type StringOps struct{}

func (so *StringOps) Concat(args *StringOpsConcatArgs, response *string) error {
	for i := 0; i < waste; i++ {
		(*response) = args.Param1 + args.Param2
	}
	return nil
}

func initGobServer(t *testing.B) {
	server := rpc.NewServer()
	server.Register(new(StringOps))
	server.HandleHTTP(rpc.DefaultRPCPath, rpc.DefaultDebugPath)

	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", address)
	if err != nil {
		t.Error(err)
	}

	go func() {
		for {
			conn, err := listener.Accept()
			if err != nil {
				t.Error(err)
			}
			server.ServeConn(conn)
		}
	}()
	
	t.Log("Gob RPC server is runnig")
}

func clientCall(testType, rpcMethod string, c *rpc.Client, t *testing.B) {
	var resultTok string

	ok := t.Run(testType, func(test *testing.B) {
		for i := 0; i < t.N; i++ {
			err := c.Call(rpcMethod, StringOpsConcatArgs{param1, param2}, &resultTok)
			if err != nil {
				test.Error(err)
			}
			t.Log(resultTok)
		}
	})
	if !ok {
		t.Error("error: unsuccessful")
	}

}

func mustDial() net.Conn {
	conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", address)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	return conn
}

func BenchmarkRPCGob(t *testing.B) {
	initGobServer(t)

	clientCall("gobRpc", "StringOps.Concat", rpc.NewClient(mustDial()), t)
}

func initJsonServer(t *testing.B) {
	server := rpc.NewServer()
	server.Register(new(StringOps))
	server.HandleHTTP(rpc.DefaultRPCPath, rpc.DefaultDebugPath)

	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", address)
	if err != nil {
		t.Error(err)
	}

	go func() {
		for {
			conn, err := listener.Accept()
			if err != nil {
				t.Error(err)
			}

			server.ServeCodec(jsonrpc.NewServerCodec(conn))
		}
	}()

	t.Log("Json RPC server is runnig")
}

func BenchmarkRPCJson(t *testing.B) {
	initJsonServer(t)

	clientCall("jsonRpc", "StringOps.Concat", jsonrpc.NewClient(mustDial()), t)
}

Verdict: mostly same metrics on MacBook Pro (4x2) machine