runwasi is a project developed within the containerd ecosystem that enables running WebAssembly workloads as first-class citizens in containerized environments. It provides a library and runtime components that integrate with containerd, allowing Wasm modules to be executed using familiar container orchestration workflows such as Kubernetes via the Container Runtime Interface. Unlike traditional containers that rely on operating system virtualization, runwasi focuses on lightweight, secure execution of WebAssembly modules, which can offer faster startup times and reduced resource overhead. The project includes reference implementations and shims that connect Wasm runtimes to containerd, enabling developers to deploy and manage Wasm applications similarly to Docker containers. It also supports running workloads directly through containerd CLI tools or via orchestration systems, making it flexible for different deployment scenarios.
Features
- Execution of WebAssembly workloads within containerd
- Integration with Kubernetes via the CRI interface
- Lightweight runtime compared to traditional containers
- Support for multiple Wasm runtimes through shims
- CLI and orchestration-based deployment options
- Rust-based modular and extensible architecture