Google Pub/Sub Publisher client is being throttled.

What is Google Pub/Sub Publisher client is being throttled.

Understanding Google Pub/Sub

Google Cloud Pub/Sub is a messaging service designed to provide reliable, many-to-many, asynchronous messaging between applications. It decouples senders and receivers, allowing for scalable and flexible communication. Pub/Sub is often used for event-driven architectures, real-time analytics, and data integration pipelines.

Identifying the Symptom

When using Google Pub/Sub, you might encounter a situation where the publisher client is being throttled. This is typically observed as a slowdown in message publishing rates or an inability to publish messages at the expected throughput.

Common Error Message

One of the common symptoms is receiving warnings or errors related to PUBLISHER_FLOW_CONTROL. This indicates that the publisher is being throttled due to flow control settings.

Exploring the Issue

The PUBLISHER_FLOW_CONTROL issue arises when the flow control settings on the publisher client are too restrictive. Flow control is a mechanism to prevent the publisher from overwhelming the system by limiting the number of outstanding messages or bytes.

Why Flow Control Matters

Flow control helps maintain system stability and ensures that the publisher does not exceed the capacity of the network or the subscriber's ability to process messages. However, overly restrictive settings can lead to throttling and reduced throughput.

Steps to Fix the Issue

To resolve the PUBLISHER_FLOW_CONTROL issue, you need to adjust the flow control settings or optimize the publishing rate. Here are the steps to do so:

1. Review Current Flow Control Settings

Check the current flow control settings in your publisher client configuration. Look for parameters such as maxOutstandingMessages and maxOutstandingBytes.

{ "flowControlSettings": { "maxOutstandingMessages": 1000, "maxOutstandingBytes": 10485760 }}

2. Adjust Flow Control Limits

Increase the limits for maxOutstandingMessages and maxOutstandingBytes to allow for higher throughput. Ensure that the new settings align with your system's capacity and the subscriber's processing capabilities.

{ "flowControlSettings": { "maxOutstandingMessages": 5000, "maxOutstandingBytes": 52428800 }}

3. Optimize Publishing Rate

If adjusting flow control settings is not sufficient, consider optimizing the rate at which messages are published. This can involve batching messages or implementing backoff strategies to manage load.

Additional Resources

For more information on Google Pub/Sub and flow control, refer to the following resources:

Google Cloud Pub/Sub Publisher Guide Flow Control in Pub/Sub Pub/Sub Best Practices