Table of Contents
Changelog
View our chronological list of user-facing changes, large and small, made to the Moler project.
Moler
Moler (name origin) is a Python library that provides "bricks" for building automated tests. All these "bricks" have clearly defined responsibilities, have similar API, follow same construction pattern (so new ones are easy to create).
Here they are:
- Commands as self-reliant object
- to allow for command triggering and parsing encapsulated in single object (lower maintenance cost)
- Event observers & callbacks (alarms are events example)
- to allow for online reaction (not offline postprocessing)
- Run observers/commands in the background
- to allow for test logic decomposition into multiple commands running in parallel
- to allow for handling unexpected system behavior (reboots, alarms)
- State machines -> automatic auto-connecting after dropped connection
- to increase framework auto-recovery and help in troubleshooting "what went wrong"
- Automatic logging of all connections towards devices used by tests
- to decrease investigation time by having logs focused on different parts of system under test
Moler usage examples
Let's see Moler in action. Here is hypothetical use case: "find PIDs of all python processes":
from moler.config import load_config
from moler.device import DeviceFactory
load_config(config='my_devices.yml') # description of available devices
my_unix = DeviceFactory.get_device(name='MyMachine') # take specific device out of available ones
ps_cmd = my_unix.get_cmd(cmd_name="ps", # take command of that device
cmd_params={"options": "-ef"})
processes_info = ps_cmd() # run the command, it returns result
for proc_info in processes_info:
if 'python' in proc_info['CMD']:
print("PID: {info[PID]} CMD: {info[CMD]}".format(info=proc_info))- To have command we ask device "give me such command".
- To run command we just call it as function (command object is callable)
- What command returns is usually dict or list of dicts - easy to process
Above code displays:
PID: 1817 CMD: /usr/bin/python /usr/share/system-config-printer/applet.py
PID: 21825 CMD: /usr/bin/python /home/gl/moler/examples/command/unix_ps.pyHow does it know what 'MyMachine' means? Code loads definition from my_devices.yml configuration file:
DEVICES:
MyMachine:
DEVICE_CLASS: moler.device.unixlocal.UnixLocal
RebexTestMachine:
DEVICE_CLASS: moler.device.unixremote.UnixRemote
CONNECTION_HOPS:
UNIX_LOCAL: # from state
UNIX_REMOTE: # to state
execute_command: ssh # via command
command_params: # with params
expected_prompt: demo@
host: test.rebex.net
login: demo
password: password
set_timeout: None # remote doesn't support: export TMOUTWe have remote machine in our config. Let's check if there is 'readme.txt' file on that machine (and some info about the file):
from moler.device import DeviceFactory
remote_unix = DeviceFactory.get_device(name='RebexTestMachine') # it starts in local shell
remote_unix.goto_state(state="UNIX_REMOTE") # make it go to remote shell
ls_cmd = remote_unix.get_cmd(cmd_name="ls", cmd_params={"options": "-l"})
remote_files = ls_cmd()
if 'readme.txt' in remote_files['files']:
print("readme.txt file:")
readme_file_info = remote_files['files']['readme.txt']
for attr in readme_file_info:
print(" {:<18}: {}".format(attr, readme_file_info[attr]))As you may noticed device is state machine. State transitions are defined inside
configuration file under CONNECTION_HOPS. Please note, that it is only config file who
knows "I need to use ssh to be on remote" - client code just says "go to remote".
Thanks to that you can exchange "how to reach remote" without any change in main code.
Above code displays:
readme.txt file:
permissions : -rw-------
hard_links_count : 1
owner : demo
group : users
size_raw : 403
size_bytes : 403
date : Apr 08 2014
name : readme.txtHow about doing multiple things in parallel. Let's ping google while asking test.rebex.net about readme.txt file:
from moler.device import DeviceFactory
my_unix = DeviceFactory.get_device(name='MyMachine')
host = 'www.google.com'
ping_cmd = my_unix.get_cmd(cmd_name="ping", cmd_params={"destination": host, "options": "-w 6"})
remote_unix = DeviceFactory.get_device(name='RebexTestMachine')
remote_unix.goto_state(state="UNIX_REMOTE")
ls_cmd = remote_unix.get_cmd(cmd_name="ls", cmd_params={"options": "-l"})
print("Start pinging {} ...".format(host))
ping_cmd.start() # run command in background
print("Let's check readme.txt at {} while pinging {} ...".format(remote_unix.name, host))
remote_files = ls_cmd() # foreground "run in the meantime"
file_info = remote_files['files']['readme.txt']
print("readme.txt file: owner={fi[owner]}, size={fi[size_bytes]}".format(fi=file_info))
ping_stats = ping_cmd.await_done(timeout=6) # await background command
print("ping {}: {}={}, {}={} [{}]".format(host,'packet_loss',
ping_stats['packet_loss'],
'time_avg',
ping_stats['time_avg'],
ping_stats['time_unit']))Start pinging www.google.com ...
Let's check readme.txt at RebexTestMachine while pinging www.google.com ...
readme.txt file: owner=demo, size=403
ping www.google.com: packet_loss=0, time_avg=35.251 [ms]Besides being callable command-object works as "Future" (result promise). You can start it in background and later await till it is done to grab result.
If we enhance our configuration with logging related info:
LOGGER:
PATH: ./logs
DATE_FORMAT: "%H:%M:%S"then above code will automatically create Molers' main log (moler.log)
which shows activity on all devices:
22:30:19.723 INFO moler |More logs in: ./logs
22:30:19.747 INFO MyMachine |Connection to: 'MyMachine' has been opened.
22:30:19.748 INFO MyMachine |Changed state from 'NOT_CONNECTED' into 'UNIX_LOCAL'
22:30:19.866 INFO MyMachine |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt':'[re.compile('^moler_bash#')]' started.
22:30:19.901 INFO RebexTestMachine |Connection to: 'RebexTestMachine' has been opened.
22:30:19.901 INFO RebexTestMachine |Changed state from 'NOT_CONNECTED' into 'UNIX_LOCAL'
22:30:19.919 INFO RebexTestMachine |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt':'[re.compile('demo@')]' started.
22:30:19.920 INFO RebexTestMachine |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt':'[re.compile('^moler_bash#')]' started.
22:30:19.921 INFO RebexTestMachine |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ssh.Ssh':'TERM=xterm-mono ssh -l demo test.rebex.net' started.
22:30:19.921 INFO RebexTestMachine |TERM=xterm-mono ssh -l demo test.rebex.net
22:30:20.763 INFO RebexTestMachine |*********
22:30:20.909 INFO RebexTestMachine |Changed state from 'UNIX_LOCAL' into 'UNIX_REMOTE'
22:30:20.917 INFO RebexTestMachine |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ssh.Ssh' finished.
22:30:20.919 INFO MyMachine |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ping.Ping':'ping www.google.com -w 6' started.
22:30:20.920 INFO MyMachine |ping www.google.com -w 6
22:30:20.920 INFO RebexTestMachine |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ls.Ls':'ls -l' started.
22:30:20.922 INFO RebexTestMachine |ls -l
22:30:20.985 INFO RebexTestMachine |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ls.Ls' finished.
22:30:26.968 INFO MyMachine |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ping.Ping' finished.
22:30:26.992 INFO RebexTestMachine |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt': '[re.compile('^moler_bash#')]' finished.
22:30:27.011 INFO RebexTestMachine |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt': '[re.compile('demo@')]' finished.
22:30:27.032 INFO MyMachine |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt': '[re.compile('^moler_bash#')]' finished.
As you may noticed main log shows code progress from high-level view - data on connections are not visible, just activity of commands running on devices.
If you want to see in details what has happened on each device - you have it in device logs.
Moler creates log per each device
moler.RebexTestMachine.log:
22:30:19.901 |Changed state from 'NOT_CONNECTED' into 'UNIX_LOCAL'
22:30:19.902 <|
22:30:19.919 |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt':'[re.compile('demo@')]' started.
22:30:19.920 |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt':'[re.compile('^moler_bash#')]' started.
22:30:19.921 |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ssh.Ssh':'TERM=xterm-mono ssh -l demo test.rebex.net' started.
22:30:19.921 >|TERM=xterm-mono ssh -l demo test.rebex.net
22:30:19.924 <|TERM=xterm-mono ssh -l demo test.rebex.net
22:30:20.762 <|Password:
22:30:20.763 >|*********
22:30:20.763 <|
22:30:20.908 <|Welcome to Rebex Virtual Shell!
|For a list of supported commands, type 'help'.
|demo@ETNA:/$
22:30:20.909 |Changed state from 'UNIX_LOCAL' into 'UNIX_REMOTE'
22:30:20.917 |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ssh.Ssh' finished.
22:30:20.920 |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ls.Ls':'ls -l' started.
22:30:20.922 >|ls -l
22:30:20.974 <|ls -l
22:30:20.978 <|drwx------ 2 demo users 0 Jul 26 2017 .
22:30:20.979 <|drwx------ 2 demo users 0 Jul 26 2017 ..
|drwx------ 2 demo users 0 Dec 03 2015 aspnet_client
|drwx------ 2 demo users 0 Oct 27 2015 pub
|-rw------- 1 demo users 403 Apr 08 2014 readme.txt
|demo@ETNA:/$
22:30:20.985 |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ls.Ls' finished.
22:30:26.992 |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt': '[re.compile('^moler_bash#')]' finished.
22:30:27.011 |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt': '[re.compile('demo@')]' finished.and moler.MyMachine.log:
22:30:19.748 |Changed state from 'NOT_CONNECTED' into 'UNIX_LOCAL'
22:30:19.748 <|
22:30:19.866 |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt':'[re.compile('^moler_bash#')]' started.
22:30:20.919 |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ping.Ping':'ping www.google.com -w 6' started.
22:30:20.920 >|ping www.google.com -w 6
22:30:20.921 <|ping www.google.com -w 6
22:30:20.959 <|PING www.google.com (216.58.215.68) 56(84) bytes of data.
22:30:20.960 <|
22:30:21.000 <|64 bytes from waw02s16-in-f4.1e100.net (216.58.215.68): icmp_seq=1 ttl=51 time=40.1 ms
22:30:21.001 <|
22:30:21.992 <|64 bytes from waw02s16-in-f4.1e100.net (216.58.215.68): icmp_seq=2 ttl=51 time=31.0 ms
22:30:22.999 <|64 bytes from waw02s16-in-f4.1e100.net (216.58.215.68): icmp_seq=3 ttl=51 time=36.5 ms
22:30:23.996 <|64 bytes from waw02s16-in-f4.1e100.net (216.58.215.68): icmp_seq=4 ttl=51 time=31.4 ms
22:30:24.996 <|64 bytes from waw02s16-in-f4.1e100.net (216.58.215.68): icmp_seq=5 ttl=51 time=29.8 ms
22:30:26.010 <|64 bytes from waw02s16-in-f4.1e100.net (216.58.215.68): icmp_seq=6 ttl=51 time=42.4 ms
22:30:26.960 <|
|--- www.google.com ping statistics ---
|6 packets transmitted, 6 received, 0% packet loss, time 5007ms
|rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 29.888/35.251/42.405/4.786 ms
|moler_bash#
22:30:26.968 |Command 'moler.cmd.unix.ping.Ping' finished.
22:30:27.032 |Event 'moler.events.unix.wait4prompt.Wait4prompt': '[re.compile('^moler_bash#')]' finished.If the log files are too large you can split files.
The log files can be split by size. For example let's assume we want split log files by 5 MB (5242880 bytes) and we want to keep maximum 999 files:
LOGGER:
PATH: ./logs
DATE_FORMAT: "%H:%M:%S"
LOG_ROTATION:
KIND: size
INTERVAL: 5242880
BACKUP_COUNT: 999 # Default value
The log files can be split by time. For example let's assume we want split log files every 30 minutes (1800 seconds) and we want to keep maximum 999 files (default value):
LOGGER:
PATH: ./logs
DATE_FORMAT: "%H:%M:%S"
LOG_ROTATION:
KIND: time
INTERVAL: 1800
BACKUP_COUNT: 999 # Default valueFor space saving Moler can compress the logs after rotation. The external tool is used. Let's use the above examples to show how to compress logs:
LOGGER:
PATH: ./logs
DATE_FORMAT: "%H:%M:%S"
LOG_ROTATION:
KIND: size
INTERVAL: 5242880
BACKUP_COUNT: 999 # Default value
COMPRESS_AFTER_ROTATION: True # Default is False
COMPRESS_COMMAND: "zip -9mq {compressed} {log_input}" # Default value
COMPRESSED_FILE_EXTENSION: ".zip" # Default value
LOGGER:
PATH: ./logs
DATE_FORMAT: "%H:%M:%S"
LOG_ROTATION:
KIND: time
INTERVAL: 1800
BACKUP_COUNT: 999 # Default value
COMPRESS_COMMAND: "zip -9mq {compressed} {log_input}" # Default value
COMPRESSED_FILE_EXTENSION: ".zip" # Default valueIn a script we can also disable logging from device. Please use it very carefully. Investigation any issue may be impossible if we don't have full logs.
from moler.device import DeviceFactory
my_unix = DeviceFactory.get_device(name='MyMachine')
my_unix.disbale_logging() # to disable logging on device
my_unix.enable_logging() # to enable logging on deviceIn a script you can add suffix to all log files or only to files for specific devices. with disable logging from device.
from moler.device import DeviceFactory
from moler.config.loggers import change_logging_suffix
change_logging_suffix(".suffix1") # all log files with suffix
change_logging_suffix(None) # all log files without suffx
my_unix = DeviceFactory.get_device(name='MyMachine')
my_unix.set_logging_suffix("device_suffix") # to add suffix to filename with logs
my_unix.set_logging_suffix(None) # to remove suffix from filename with logsPrevious examples ask device to create command. We can also create command ourselves giving it connection to operate on:
import time
from moler.cmd.unix.ping import Ping
from moler.connection_factory import get_connection
host = 'www.google.com'
terminal = get_connection(io_type='terminal', variant='threaded') # take connection
with terminal.open():
ping_cmd = Ping(connection=terminal.moler_connection,
destination=host, options="-w 6")
print("Start pinging {} ...".format(host))
ping_cmd.start()
print("Doing other stuff while pinging {} ...".format(host))
time.sleep(3)
ping_stats = ping_cmd.await_done(timeout=4)
print("ping {}: {}={}, {}={} [{}]".format(host,'packet_loss',
ping_stats['packet_loss'],
'time_avg',
ping_stats['time_avg'],
ping_stats['time_unit']))Please note also that connection is context manager doing open/close actions.
Start pinging www.google.com ...
Doing other stuff while pinging www.google.com ...
ping www.google.com: packet_loss=0, time_avg=50.000 [ms]Reuse freedom
Library gives you freedom which part you want to reuse. We are fans of "take what you need only".
-
You may use configuration files or configure things by Python calls.
from moler.config import load_config load_config(config={'DEVICES': {'MyMachine': {'DEVICE_CLASS': 'moler.device.unixlocal.UnixLocal'}}}) - You may use devices or create commands manually
-
You can take connection or build it yourself:
from moler.threaded_moler_connection import ThreadedMolerConnection from moler.io.raw.terminal import ThreadedTerminal terminal_connection = ThreadedTerminal(moler_connection=ThreadedMolerConnection()) - You can even install your own implementation in place of default implementation per connection type
API design reasoning
The main goal of command is its usage simplicity: just run it and give me back its result.
Command hides from its caller:
- a way how it realizes "runs"
- how it gets data of output to be parsed
- how it parses that data
Command shows to its caller:
- API to start/stop it or await for its completion
- API to query for its result or result readiness
Command works as Futures and promises
After starting, we await for its result which is parsed out command output provided usually as dict. Running that command and parsing its output may take some time, so till that point result computation is yet incomplete.
Command as future
- it starts some command on device/shell over connection (as future-function starts its execution)
- it parses data incoming over such connection (as future-function does its processing)
- it stores result of that parsing (as future-function concludes in calculation result)
- it provides means to return that result (as future-function does via 'return' or 'yield' statement)
- its result is not ready "just-after" calling command (as it is with future in contrast to function)
So command should have future API.
Quote from "Professional Python" by Luke Sneeringer:
The Future is a standalone object. It is independent of the actual function that is running. It does nothing but store the state and result information.
Command differs in that it is both:
- function-like object performing computation
- future-like object storing result of that computation.
Command vs. Connection-observer
Command is just "active version" of connection observer.
Connection observer is passive since it just observes connection for some data; data that may just asynchronously appear (alarms, reboots or anything you want). Intention here is split of responsibility: one observer is looking for alarms, another one for reboots.
Command is active since it actively triggers some output on connection
by sending command-string over that connection. So, it activates some action
on device-behind-connection. That action is "command" in device terminology.
Like ping on bash console/device. And it produces that "command" output.
That output is what Moler's Command as connection-observer is looking for.
Most well known Python's futures
| API | concurrent.futures.Future | asyncio.Future |
|---|---|---|
| storing result | :white_check_mark: set_result() |
:white_check_mark: set_result() |
| result retrieval | :white_check_mark: result() |
:white_check_mark: result() |
| storing failure cause | :white_check_mark: set_exception() |
:white_check_mark: set_exception() |
| failure cause retrieval | :white_check_mark: exception() |
:white_check_mark: exception() |
| stopping | :white_check_mark: cancel() |
:white_check_mark: cancel() |
| check if stopped | :white_check_mark: cancelled() |
:white_check_mark: cancelled() |
| check if running | :white_check_mark: running() |
:no_entry_sign: (but AbstractEventLoop.running()) |
| check if completed | :white_check_mark: done() |
:white_check_mark: done() |
| subscribe completion | :white_check_mark: add_done_callback() |
:white_check_mark: add_done_callback() |
| unsubscribe completion | :no_entry_sign: | :white_check_mark: remove_done_callback() |
Starting callable to be run "as future" is done by entities external to future-object
| API | concurrent.futures start via Executor objects (thread/proc) |
asyncio start via module-lvl functions or ev-loop |
|---|---|---|
| start callable | submit(fn, *args, *kwargs) Schedules callable to be executed as fn(args **kwargs) -> Future |
ensure_future(coro_or_future) -> Task future = run_coroutine_threadsafe(coro, loop) |
| start same callable on data iterator |
map(fn, *iterables, timeout) -> iterator | join_future = asyncio.gather(*map(f, iterable)) loop.run_until_complete(join_future) |
Awaiting completion of future is done by entities external to future-object
| API | concurrent.futures awaiting by module level functions |
asyncio awaiting by module-lvl functions or ev-loop |
|---|---|---|
| await completion | done, not_done = wait(futures, timeout) -> futures | done, not_done = await wait(futures) results = await gather(futures) result = await future result = yield from future result = await coroutine result = yield from coroutine result = yield from wait_for(future, timeout) loop.run_until_complete(future) -> blocking run |
| process as they complete |
for done in as_completed(futures, timeout) -> futures | for done in as_completed(futures, timeout) -> futures |
Fundamental difference of command
Contrary to concurrent.futures and asyncio we don't want command to be run by some external entity. We want it to be self-executable for usage simplicity. We want to take command and just say to it:
- "run" or "run in background"
- and not "Hi, external runner, would you run/run-background that command for me"
Designed API
-
create command object
command = Command() -
run it synchronously/blocking and get result in one shot behaves like function call since Command is callable.
Run-as-callable gives big advantage since it fits well in python ecosystem.
result = command()function example:
map(ping_cmd, all_machines_to_validate_reachability)-
run it asynchronously/nonblocking
command_as_future = command.start() -
shift from background to foreground
asyncio: variant looks like:
result = await future
done_futures, pending = yield from asyncio.wait(futures)
result = yield from asyncio.wait_for(future, 60.0)and concurrent.futures variant looks like:
done_futures, pending = wait(futures)Moler's API maps to above well-known API
result = command.await_done(timeout)- it is "internal" to command "Hi command, that is what I want from you" (above APIs say "Hi you there, that is what I want you to do with command")
- it directly (Zen of Python) shows what we are awaiting for
- timeout is required parameter (not as in concurrent.futures) since we don't expect endless execution of command (user must know what is worst case timeout to await command completion)