[debian/amanda] / perl / Amanda / Xfer.pod

/*
 * Copyright (c) 2009, 2010 Zmanda, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
 *
 * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as published
 * by the Free Software Foundation.
 *
 * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
 * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
 * or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
 * for more details.
 *
 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
 * with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 * 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307 USA
 *
 * Contact information: Zmanda Inc., 465 S. Mathilda Ave., Suite 300
 * Sunnyvale, CA 94085, USA, or: http://www.zmanda.com
 */

%perlcode %{

=head1 NAME

Amanda::Xfer - the transfer architecture

=head1 SYNOPSIS

  use Amanda::MainLoop;
  use Amanda::Xfer qw( :constants );
  use POSIX;

  my $infd = POSIX::open("input", POSIX::O_RDONLY, 0);
  my $outfd = POSIX::open("output", POSIX::O_CREAT|POSIX::O_WRONLY, 0640);
  my $xfer = Amanda::Xfer->new([
    Amanda::Xfer::Source::Fd->new($infd),
    Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Fd->new($outfd)
  ]);
  $xfer->start(sub {
      my ($src, $xmsg, $xfer) = @_;
      print "Message from $xfer: $xmsg\n"; # use stringify operations
      if ($msg->{'type'} == $XMSG_DONE) {
          Amanda::MainLoop::quit();
      }
  });
  Amanda::MainLoop::run();

See L<http://wiki.zmanda.com/index.php/XFA> for background on the
transfer architecture.

=head1 Amanda::Xfer Objects

A new transfer is created with C<< Amanda::Xfer->new() >>, which takes
an arrayref giving the transfer elements which should compose the
transfer.

The resulting object has the following methods:

=over

=item start($cb)

Start this transfer.  Processing takes place asynchronously, and messages will
begin queueing up immediately.  If C<$cb> is given, then it is installed as the
callback for messages from this transfer.  The callback receives three
arguments: the event source, the message, and a reference to the controlling
transfer.  See the description of C<Amanda::Xfer::Msg>, below, for details.

There is no need to remove the source on completion of the transfer - that is
handled for you.

=item cancel()

Stop transferring data.  The transfer will send an C<XMSG_CANCEL>,
"drain" any buffered data as best it can, and then complete normally
with an C<XMSG_DONE>.

=item get_status()

Get the transfer's status.  The result will be one of C<$XFER_INIT>,
C<$XFER_START>, C<$XFER_RUNNING>, or C<$XFER_DONE>.  These symbols are
available for import with the tag C<:constants>.

=item repr()

Return a string representation of this transfer, suitable for use in
debugging messages.  This method is automatically invoked when a
transfer is interpolated into a string:

  print "Starting $xfer\n";

=item get_source()

Get the L<Amanda::MainLoop> event source through which messages will
be delivered for this transfer.  Use its C<set_callback> method to
connect a perl sub for processing events. 

Use of this method is deprecated; instead, pass a callback to the C<start>
method.  If you set a callback via C<get_source>, then you I<must> C<remove>
the source when the transfer is complete!

=back

=head1 Amanda::Xfer::Element objects

The individual transfer elements that compose a transfer are instances
of subclasses of Amanda::Xfer::Element.  All such objects have a
C<repr()> method, similar to that for transfers, and support a similar
kind of string interpolation.

Note that the names of these classes contain the words "Source",
"Filter", and "Dest".  This is merely suggestive of their intended
purpose -- there are no such abstract classes.

=head2 Transfer Sources

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Source::Device (SERVER ONLY)

  Amanda::Xfer::Source::Device->new($device);

This source reads data from a device.  The device should already be
queued up for reading (C<< $device->seek_file(..) >>).  The element
will read until the end of the device file.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Source::Fd

  Amanda::Xfer::Source::Fd->new(fileno($fh));

This source reads data from a file descriptor.  It reads until EOF,
but does not close the descriptor.  Be careful not to let Perl close
the file for you!

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Source::Holding (SERVER-ONLY)

  Amanda::Xfer::Source::Holding->new($filename);

This source reads data from a holding file (see L<Amanda::Holding>).
If the transfer only consists of a C<Amanda::Xfer::Source::Holding>
and an C<Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Taper::Splitter> (with no filters), then the source
will call the destination's C<cache_inform> method so that it can use
holding chunks for a split-part cache.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Source::Random

  Amanda::Xfer::Source::Random->new($length, $seed);

This source provides I<length> bytes of random data (or an unlimited
amount of data if I<length> is zero).  C<$seed> is the seed used to
generate the random numbers; this seed can be used in a destination to
check for correct output.

If you need to string multiple transfers together into a coherent sequence of
random numbers, for example when testing the re-assembly of spanned dumps, call

  my $seed = $src->get_seed();

to get the finishing seed for the source, then pass this to the source
constructor for the next transfer.  When concatenated, the bytestreams from the
transfers will verify correctly using the original random seed.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Source::Pattern

  Amanda::Xfer::Source::Pattern->new($length, $pattern);

This source provides I<length> bytes containing copies of
I<pattern>. If I<length> is zero, the source provides an unlimited
number of bytes.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Source::Recovery (SERVER ONLY)

  Amanda::Xfer::Source::Recovery->new($first_device);

This source reads a datastream composed of on-device files.  Its constructor
takes a pointer to the first device that will be read from; this is used
internally to determine whether DirectTCP is supported.

The element sense C<$XMSG_READY> when it is ready for the first C<start_part>
invocation.  Don't do anything with the device between the start of the
transfer and when the element sends an C<$XMSG_READY>.

The element contains no logic to decide I<which> files to assemble into the
datastream; instead, it relies on the caller to supply pre-positioned devices:

  $src->start_part($device);

Once C<start_part> is called, the source will read until C<$device> produces an
EOF.  As each part is completed, the element sends an C<$XMSG_PART_DONE>
L<Amanda::Xfer::Msg>, with the following keys:

 size       bytes read from the device
 duration   time spent reading
 fileno     the on-media file number from which the part was read

Call C<start_part> with C<$device = undef> to indicate that there are no more
parts.

To switch to a new device in mid-transfer, use C<use_device>:

  $dest->use_device($device);

This method must be called with a device that is not yet started, and thus must
be called before the C<start_part> method is called with a new device.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Source::DirectTCPListen

  Amanda::Xfer::Source::DirectTCPListen->new();

This source is for use when the transfer data will come in via DirectTCP, with
the data's I<source> connecting to the data's I<destination>.  Set up the
transfer, and after starting it, call its C<get_addrs> method to get an
arrayref of ip/port pairs, e.g., C<[ "192.168.4.5", 9924 ]>, all of which are
listening for an incoming data connection.  Once a connection arrives, this
element will read data from it and send those data into the transfer.

  my $addrs = $src->get_addrs();

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Source::DirectTCPConnect

  Amanda::Xfer::Source::DirectTCPConnect->new($addrs);

This source is for use when the transfer data will come in via DirectTCP, with
the data's I<destination> connecting to the the data's I<source>.  The element
connects to C<$addrs> and reads the transfer data from the connection.

=head2 Transfer Filters

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Filter:Process

  Amanda::Xfer::Filter::Process->new([@args], $need_root);

This filter will pipe data through the standard file descriptors of the
subprocess specified by C<@args>.  If C<$need_root> is true, it will attempt to
change to uid 0 before executing the process.  Standard output from the process
is redirected to the debug log.  Note that the process is invoked directly, not
via a shell, so shell metacharcters (e.g., C<< 2>&1 >>) will not function as
expected.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Filter:Xor

  Amanda::Xfer::Filter::Xor->new($key);

This filter applies a bytewise XOR operation to the data flowing
through it.

=head2 Transfer Destinations

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Device (SERVER ONLY)

  Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Device->new($device, $max_memory);

This source writes data to a device.  The device should be ready for
writing (C<< $device->start_file(..) >>).  No more than C<$max_memory>
will be used for buffers.  Use zero for the default buffer size.  On
completion of the transfer, the file will be finished.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Buffer

  Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Buffer->new($max_size);

This destination records data into an in-memory buffer which can grow up to
C<$max_size> bytes.  The buffer is available with the C<get> method, which
returns a copy of the buffer as a perl scalar:

    my $buf = $xdb->get();

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::DirectTCPListen

  Amanda::Xfer::Dest::DirectTCPListen->new();

This destination is for use when the transfer data will come in via DirectTCP,
with the data's I<destination> connecting to the data's I<source>.  Set up the
transfer, and after starting it, call this element's C<get_addrs> method to get
an arrayref of ip/port pairs, e.g., C<[ "192.168.4.5", 9924 ]>, all of which
are listening for an incoming data connection.  Once a connection arrives, this
element will write the transfer data to it.

  my $addrs = $src->get_addrs();

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::DirectTCPConnect

  Amanda::Xfer::Dest::DirectTCPConnect->new($addrs);

This destination is for use when the transfer data will come in via DirectTCP,
with the data's I<source> connecting to the the data's I<destination>.  The
element connects to C<$addrs> and writes the transfer data to the connection.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Fd

  Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Fd->new(fileno($fh));

This destination writes data to a file descriptor.  The file is not
closed after the transfer is completed.  Be careful not to let Perl
close the file for you!

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Null

  Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Null->new($seed);

This destination discards the data it receives.  If C<$seed> is
nonzero, then the element will validate that it receives the data that
C<Amanda::Xfer::Source::Random> produced with the same seed.  No
validation is performed if C<$seed> is zero.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Taper (SERVER ONLY)

This is the parent class to C<Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Taper::Splitter> and
C<Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Taper::DirectTCP>. These subclasses allow a single
transfer to write to multiple files (parts) on a device, and even spread those
parts over multiple devices, without interrupting the transfer itself.

The subclass constructors all take a C<$first_device>, which should be
configured but not yet started; and a C<$part_size> giving the maximum size of
each part.  Note that this value may be rounded up internally as necessary.

When a transfer using a taper destination element is first started, no data is
transfered until the element's C<start_part> method is called:

  $dest->start_part($retry_part);

where C<$device> is the device to which the part should be written.  The device
should have a file open and ready to write (that is, 
C<< $device->start_file(..) >> has already been called).  If C<$retry_part> is
true, then the previous, unsuccessful part will be retried.

As each part is completed, the element sends an C<$XMSG_PART_DONE>
C<Amanda::Xfer::Msg>, with the following keys:

 successful true if the part was written successfully
 eof        recipient should not call start_part again
 eom        this volume is at EOM; a new volume is required
 size       bytes written to volume
 duration   time spent writing, not counting changer ops, etc.
 partnum    the zero-based number of this part in the overall dumpfile
 fileno     the on-media file number used for this part, or 0 if no file
            was used

If C<eom> is true, then the caller should find a new volume before
continuing.  If C<eof> is not true, then C<start_part> should be called
again, with C<$retry_part = !successful>.  Note that it is possible
for some destinations to write a portion of a part successfully,
but still stop at EOM.  That is, C<eom> does not necessarily imply
C<!successful>.

To switch to a new device in mid-transfer, use C<use_device>:

  $dest->use_device($device);

This method must be called with a device that is not yet started.

If neither the memory nor disk caches are in use, but the dumpfile is
available on disk, then the C<cache_inform> method allows the element
to use that on-disk data to support retries.  This is intended to
support transfers from Amanda's holding disk (see
C<Amanda::Xfer::Source::Holding>), but may be useful for other
purposes.

  $dest->cache_inform($filename, $offset, $length);

This function indicates that C<$filename> contains C<$length> bytes of
data, beginning at offset C<$offset> from the beginning of the file.
These bytes are assumed to follow immediately after any bytes
previously specified to C<cache_inform>.  That is, no gaps or overlaps
are allowed in the data stream described to C<cache_inform>.
Furthermore, the location of each byte must be specified to this
method I<before> it is sent through the transfer.

  $dest->get_part_bytes_written();

This function returns the number of bytes written for the current part
to the device.

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Taper::Splitter

  Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Taper::Splitter->new($first_device, $max_memory,
                        $part_size, $use_mem_cache, $disk_cache_dirname);

This class caches data from each part in one of a variety of ways, and supports
"rewinding" to retry a failed part (e.g., one that does not fit on a device).
It assumes that when a device reaches EOM while writing, the entire file is
corrupt.  It does not (yet) support logical EOM, which can render this
assumption incorrect.

The C<$first_device> is used to calculate some internal constants, notably the
slab size, based on the device characteristics.   Subsequent devices must have
the same block size.  The C<$part_size> and C<$first_device> parameters are
described above.

If C<$use_mem_cache> is true, each part will be cached in memory (using
C<$part_size> bytes of memory; plan accordingly!).  If C<$disk_cache_dirname>
is defined, then each part will be cached on-disk in a file in this directory.
It is an error to specify both in-memory and on-disk caching.  If neither
option is specified, the element will operate successfully, but will not be
able to retry a part unless C<cache_inform> has been used properly (see above).

=head3 Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Taper::DirectTCP

  Amanda::Xfer::Dest::Taper::DirectTCP->new($first_device, $part_size);

This class uses the Device API DirectTCP methods to write data to a device via
DirectTCP.  Since all DirectTCP devices support logical EOM, this class does
not cache any data, and will never re-start an unsuccessful part.

As state above, C<$first_device> must not be started when C<new> is called.
Furthermore, no use of that device is allowed until the element sens an
C<$XMSG_READY> to indicate that it is finished with the device.  The
C<start_part> method must not be called until this method is received either.

=head1 Amanda::Xfer::Msg objects

Messages are simple hashrefs, with a few convenience methods.  Like
transfers, they have a C<repr()> method that formats the message
nicely, and is available through string interpolation:

  print "Received message $msg\n";

The canonical description of the message types and keys is in
C<xfer-src/xmsg.h>, and is not duplicated here.  Every message has the
following basic keys.

=over

=item type

The message type -- one of the C<xmsg_type> constants available from
the import tag C<:constants>.

=item elt

The transfer element that sent the message.

=item version

The version of the message.  This is used to support extensibility of
the protocol.

=back

Additional keys are described in the documentation for the elements
that use them.  All keys are listed in C<xfer-src/xmsg.h>.

=cut


%}