Recommended RPC Frameworks for PHP Microservices on XAMPP

Best RPC Framework for PHP Microservices Running on XAMPP (Same Server)

Since your PHP application is running multiple microservices on the same server (XAMPP), the best RPC framework depends on performance, ease of integration, and communication speed.

Choosing the Best RPC Framework for Your Setup

Since you are running all microservices on the same server in XAMPP, here’s how to choose the best RPC framework based on your requirements:

Use JSON-RPC (PHP) → If You Want a Simple Setup

• Works over HTTP, easy to implement in PHP without extra extensions.
• Ideal if your microservices are simple (e.g., user authentication, payments, notifications).
• Best choice for PHP-to-PHP communication in a basic microservices setup.

Use gRPC (PHP) → If You Need High Performance

• If you expect high request rates and need faster response times, gRPC is the best option.
• Uses Protocol Buffers (binary serialization), much faster than JSON.
• Ideal for PHP microservices that may expand to Python, Java, or Go later.

Use ZeroMQ (PHP) → If You Need Real-Time Communication

• If you need low-latency communication for real-time chat, notifications, financial transactions, use ZeroMQ.
• Works best if your PHP microservices need event-driven communication.

How to Implement RPC in PHP (Examples)

Using JSON-RPC (Easiest to Implement)

Step 1: Install JSON-RPC in PHP

composer require fguillot/json-rpc

Step 2: Create the JSON-RPC Server (server.php)

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use JsonRPC\Server;

$server = new Server();

$server->attach(
    'math', new class {
        public function add($a, $b) {
            return $a + $b;
        }
    }
);

echo $server->execute();

Step 3: Create the JSON-RPC Client (client.php)

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use JsonRPC\Client;

$client = new Client('http://localhost/server.php');

$result = $client->execute('math.add', [10, 20]);

echo "Result: " . $result;  // Output: Result: 30

Why Choose JSON-RPC?

• Simple setup (No extra servers or dependencies)
• Works over HTTP (like REST but more efficient)

Using gRPC in PHP (For High Performance)

Step 1: Install gRPC in PHP

composer require grpc/grpc

Step 2: Define the RPC Service (example.proto)

syntax = "proto3";

service Calculator {
  rpc Add (CalculationRequest) returns (CalculationResponse);
}

message CalculationRequest {
  int32 num1 = 1;
  int32 num2 = 2;
}

message CalculationResponse {
  int32 result = 1;
}

Step 3: Generate PHP Code

protoc --proto_path=. --php_out=. --grpc_out=. example.proto

Step 4: Create gRPC Client (client.php)

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use Example\CalculatorClient;
use Example\CalculationRequest;
use Grpc\ChannelCredentials;

$client = new CalculatorClient('localhost:50051', [
    'credentials' => ChannelCredentials::createInsecure()
]);

$request = new CalculationRequest();
$request->setNum1(10);
$request->setNum2(20);

$response = $client->Add($request)->wait();
echo $response[0]->getResult(); // Output: 30

Why Choose gRPC?

• 10x faster than JSON-RPC due to Protocol Buffers (Binary format)
• Works well if your PHP microservices may need to interact with Python, Java, or Go in the future.

Using ZeroMQ for Real-Time PHP Microservices

Step 1: Install ZeroMQ for PHP

pecl install zmq

Step 2: Create a ZeroMQ Server (server.php)

$context = new ZMQContext();
$socket = $context->getSocket(ZMQ::SOCKET_REP);
$socket->bind("tcp://*:5555");

while (true) {
    $message = $socket->recv();
    echo "Received request: $message\n";
    $socket->send("Hello, $message");
}

Step 3: Create a ZeroMQ Client (client.php)

$context = new ZMQContext();
$socket = $context->getSocket(ZMQ::SOCKET_REQ);
$socket->connect("tcp://localhost:5555");

$socket->send("Alice");
$response = $socket->recv();
echo "Received response: $response\n";

Why Choose ZeroMQ?

• Fastest communication between PHP microservices on the same server.
• Ideal for event-driven systems like real-time messaging, notifications, or stock trading apps.

Final Recommendation

| Scenario | Best RPC Framework for PHP Microservices in XAMPP |
|-------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| Simple, easy-to-use PHP-to-PHP communication | JSON-RPC |
| High-performance, multi-language microservices | gRPC |
| Real-time messaging & event-driven apps | ZeroMQ |

Final Thoughts

Best for beginners: JSON-RPC (Simple, works over HTTP)
Best for performance: gRPC (Binary format, fast)
Best for real-time systems: ZeroMQ (Event-driven messaging)

Would you like a detailed tutorial on setting up JSON-RPC, gRPC, or ZeroMQ in your PHP microservices?