• Grab’s Mac Cloud Exit supercharges macOS CI/CD Introduction In our mission to optimize continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), we have taken a bold step by relocating our infrastructure from a cloud vendor in the US to a colocation cluster within Southeast Asia, closer to our Git server infrastructure. • This change has dramatically improved the performance of our macOS builds, primarily by reducing the network traffic delays associated with distant data centers. • By bringing our infrastructure closer to home, we have not only accelerated CI/CD job completion times but also massively slashed operational costs. • Join us as we delve into the Mac Cloud Exit journey and the significant improvements it has brought to our workflows. • Our macOS CI/CD infrastructure has evolved from 1 Physical Mac Pro running in our office to a cluster of 250 Mac minis fully occupied during peak hours of the day. • There were multiple stages in the journey to transition to the current state.
Article Summaries:
- Grab has shifted its macOS continuous‑integration and delivery (CI/CD) infrastructure from a U.S. cloud provider to a colocation cluster in Southeast Asia. The move, aimed at reducing network latency and operational costs, expanded the fleet from a single Mac Pro to a 250‑plus Mac Mini cluster that now handles peak build demand. The company’s analysis of total cost of ownership (TCO) showed that owning and managing the colocation setup offered better reliability and cost efficiency than leasing cloud instances, especially given Apple’s 24‑hour lease minimum. Grab plans to scale the cluster to 400+ machines by 2025 to meet growing iOS build demands.
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