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Comparing AnyEvent-MP/MP.pm (file contents):
Revision 1.78 by root, Thu Sep 3 20:16:36 2009 UTC vs.
Revision 1.84 by root, Tue Sep 8 01:42:14 2009 UTC

41 41
42 bin/aemp - stable. 42 bin/aemp - stable.
43 AnyEvent::MP - stable API, should work. 43 AnyEvent::MP - stable API, should work.
44 AnyEvent::MP::Intro - explains most concepts. 44 AnyEvent::MP::Intro - explains most concepts.
45 AnyEvent::MP::Kernel - mostly stable. 45 AnyEvent::MP::Kernel - mostly stable.
46 AnyEvent::MP::Global - stable API, protocol not yet final. 46 AnyEvent::MP::Global - stable but incomplete, protocol not yet final.
47 47
48 stay tuned. 48stay tuned.
49 49
50=head1 DESCRIPTION 50=head1 DESCRIPTION
51 51
52This module (-family) implements a simple message passing framework. 52This module (-family) implements a simple message passing framework.
53 53
61 61
62=over 4 62=over 4
63 63
64=item port 64=item port
65 65
66A port is something you can send messages to (with the C<snd> function). 66Not to be confused with a TCP port, a "port" is something you can send
67messages to (with the C<snd> function).
67 68
68Ports allow you to register C<rcv> handlers that can match all or just 69Ports allow you to register C<rcv> handlers that can match all or just
69some messages. Messages send to ports will not be queued, regardless of 70some messages. Messages send to ports will not be queued, regardless of
70anything was listening for them or not. 71anything was listening for them or not.
71 72
82 83
83Nodes are either public (have one or more listening ports) or private 84Nodes are either public (have one or more listening ports) or private
84(no listening ports). Private nodes cannot talk to other private nodes 85(no listening ports). Private nodes cannot talk to other private nodes
85currently. 86currently.
86 87
87=item node ID - C<[a-za-Z0-9_\-.:]+> 88=item node ID - C<[A-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_\-.:]*>
88 89
89A node ID is a string that uniquely identifies the node within a 90A node ID is a string that uniquely identifies the node within a
90network. Depending on the configuration used, node IDs can look like a 91network. Depending on the configuration used, node IDs can look like a
91hostname, a hostname and a port, or a random string. AnyEvent::MP itself 92hostname, a hostname and a port, or a random string. AnyEvent::MP itself
92doesn't interpret node IDs in any way. 93doesn't interpret node IDs in any way.
96Nodes can only talk to each other by creating some kind of connection to 97Nodes can only talk to each other by creating some kind of connection to
97each other. To do this, nodes should listen on one or more local transport 98each other. To do this, nodes should listen on one or more local transport
98endpoints - binds. Currently, only standard C<ip:port> specifications can 99endpoints - binds. Currently, only standard C<ip:port> specifications can
99be used, which specify TCP ports to listen on. 100be used, which specify TCP ports to listen on.
100 101
101=item seeds - C<host:port> 102=item seed nodes
102 103
103When a node starts, it knows nothing about the network. To teach the node 104When a node starts, it knows nothing about the network. To teach the node
104about the network it first has to contact some other node within the 105about the network it first has to contact some other node within the
105network. This node is called a seed. 106network. This node is called a seed.
106 107
107Seeds are transport endpoint(s) of as many nodes as one wants. Those nodes 108Apart from the fact that other nodes know them as seed nodes and they have
109to have fixed listening addresses, seed nodes are perfectly normal nodes -
110any node can function as a seed node for others.
111
112In addition to discovering the network, seed nodes are also used to
113maintain the network and to connect nodes that otherwise would have
114trouble connecting. They form the backbone of the AnyEvent::MP network.
115
108are expected to be long-running, and at least one of those should always 116Seed nodes are expected to be long-running, and at least one seed node
109be available. When nodes run out of connections (e.g. due to a network 117should always be available.
110error), they try to re-establish connections to some seednodes again to
111join the network.
112 118
113Apart from being sued for seeding, seednodes are not special in any way - 119=item seeds - C<host:port>
114every public node can be a seednode. 120
121Seeds are transport endpoint(s) (usually a hostname/IP address and a
122TCP port) of nodes thta should be used as seed nodes.
123
124The nodes listening on those endpoints are expected to be long-running,
125and at least one of those should always be available. When nodes run out
126of connections (e.g. due to a network error), they try to re-establish
127connections to some seednodes again to join the network.
115 128
116=back 129=back
117 130
118=head1 VARIABLES/FUNCTIONS 131=head1 VARIABLES/FUNCTIONS
119 132
474 487
475Monitor the given port and do something when the port is killed or 488Monitor the given port and do something when the port is killed or
476messages to it were lost, and optionally return a guard that can be used 489messages to it were lost, and optionally return a guard that can be used
477to stop monitoring again. 490to stop monitoring again.
478 491
492In the first form (callback), the callback is simply called with any
493number of C<@reason> elements (no @reason means that the port was deleted
494"normally"). Note also that I<< the callback B<must> never die >>, so use
495C<eval> if unsure.
496
497In the second form (another port given), the other port (C<$rcvport>)
498will be C<kil>'ed with C<@reason>, if a @reason was specified, i.e. on
499"normal" kils nothing happens, while under all other conditions, the other
500port is killed with the same reason.
501
502The third form (kill self) is the same as the second form, except that
503C<$rvport> defaults to C<$SELF>.
504
505In the last form (message), a message of the form C<@msg, @reason> will be
506C<snd>.
507
508Monitoring-actions are one-shot: once messages are lost (and a monitoring
509alert was raised), they are removed and will not trigger again.
510
511As a rule of thumb, monitoring requests should always monitor a port from
512a local port (or callback). The reason is that kill messages might get
513lost, just like any other message. Another less obvious reason is that
514even monitoring requests can get lost (for example, when the connection
515to the other node goes down permanently). When monitoring a port locally
516these problems do not exist.
517
479C<mon> effectively guarantees that, in the absence of hardware failures, 518C<mon> effectively guarantees that, in the absence of hardware failures,
480after starting the monitor, either all messages sent to the port will 519after starting the monitor, either all messages sent to the port will
481arrive, or the monitoring action will be invoked after possible message 520arrive, or the monitoring action will be invoked after possible message
482loss has been detected. No messages will be lost "in between" (after 521loss has been detected. No messages will be lost "in between" (after
483the first lost message no further messages will be received by the 522the first lost message no further messages will be received by the
484port). After the monitoring action was invoked, further messages might get 523port). After the monitoring action was invoked, further messages might get
485delivered again. 524delivered again.
486 525
487Note that monitoring-actions are one-shot: once messages are lost (and a 526Inter-host-connection timeouts and monitoring depend on the transport
488monitoring alert was raised), they are removed and will not trigger again. 527used. The only transport currently implemented is TCP, and AnyEvent::MP
528relies on TCP to detect node-downs (this can take 10-15 minutes on a
529non-idle connection, and usually around two hours for idle conenctions).
489 530
490In the first form (callback), the callback is simply called with any 531This means that monitoring is good for program errors and cleaning up
491number of C<@reason> elements (no @reason means that the port was deleted 532stuff eventually, but they are no replacement for a timeout when you need
492"normally"). Note also that I<< the callback B<must> never die >>, so use 533to ensure some maximum latency.
493C<eval> if unsure.
494
495In the second form (another port given), the other port (C<$rcvport>)
496will be C<kil>'ed with C<@reason>, if a @reason was specified, i.e. on
497"normal" kils nothing happens, while under all other conditions, the other
498port is killed with the same reason.
499
500The third form (kill self) is the same as the second form, except that
501C<$rvport> defaults to C<$SELF>.
502
503In the last form (message), a message of the form C<@msg, @reason> will be
504C<snd>.
505
506As a rule of thumb, monitoring requests should always monitor a port from
507a local port (or callback). The reason is that kill messages might get
508lost, just like any other message. Another less obvious reason is that
509even monitoring requests can get lost (for example, when the connection
510to the other node goes down permanently). When monitoring a port locally
511these problems do not exist.
512 534
513Example: call a given callback when C<$port> is killed. 535Example: call a given callback when C<$port> is killed.
514 536
515 mon $port, sub { warn "port died because of <@_>\n" }; 537 mon $port, sub { warn "port died because of <@_>\n" };
516 538
611the package, then the package above the package and so on (e.g. 633the package, then the package above the package and so on (e.g.
612C<MyApp::Chat::Server>, C<MyApp::Chat>, C<MyApp>) until the function 634C<MyApp::Chat::Server>, C<MyApp::Chat>, C<MyApp>) until the function
613exists or it runs out of package names. 635exists or it runs out of package names.
614 636
615The init function is then called with the newly-created port as context 637The init function is then called with the newly-created port as context
616object (C<$SELF>) and the C<@initdata> values as arguments. 638object (C<$SELF>) and the C<@initdata> values as arguments. It I<must>
639call one of the C<rcv> functions to set callbacks on C<$SELF>, otherwise
640the port might not get created.
617 641
618A common idiom is to pass a local port, immediately monitor the spawned 642A common idiom is to pass a local port, immediately monitor the spawned
619port, and in the remote init function, immediately monitor the passed 643port, and in the remote init function, immediately monitor the passed
620local port. This two-way monitoring ensures that both ports get cleaned up 644local port. This two-way monitoring ensures that both ports get cleaned up
621when there is a problem. 645when there is a problem.
622 646
647C<spawn> guarantees that the C<$initfunc> has no visible effects on the
648caller before C<spawn> returns (by delaying invocation when spawn is
649called for the local node).
650
623Example: spawn a chat server port on C<$othernode>. 651Example: spawn a chat server port on C<$othernode>.
624 652
625 # this node, executed from within a port context: 653 # this node, executed from within a port context:
626 my $server = spawn $othernode, "MyApp::Chat::Server::connect", $SELF; 654 my $server = spawn $othernode, "MyApp::Chat::Server::connect", $SELF;
627 mon $server; 655 mon $server;
641 669
642sub _spawn { 670sub _spawn {
643 my $port = shift; 671 my $port = shift;
644 my $init = shift; 672 my $init = shift;
645 673
674 # rcv will create the actual port
646 local $SELF = "$NODE#$port"; 675 local $SELF = "$NODE#$port";
647 eval { 676 eval {
648 &{ load_func $init } 677 &{ load_func $init }
649 }; 678 };
650 _self_die if $@; 679 _self_die if $@;
846L<AnyEvent::MP::Kernel> - more, lower-level, stuff. 875L<AnyEvent::MP::Kernel> - more, lower-level, stuff.
847 876
848L<AnyEvent::MP::Global> - network maintainance and port groups, to find 877L<AnyEvent::MP::Global> - network maintainance and port groups, to find
849your applications. 878your applications.
850 879
880L<AnyEvent::MP::LogCatcher> - simple service to display log messages from
881all nodes.
882
851L<AnyEvent>. 883L<AnyEvent>.
852 884
853=head1 AUTHOR 885=head1 AUTHOR
854 886
855 Marc Lehmann <schmorp@schmorp.de> 887 Marc Lehmann <schmorp@schmorp.de>

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