Open-Source Software Project Development

Instructor: Dr. T.Y. Wong

Week 10, Part 2

Writing Realistic Server Software (1)
Servers?
• We sometimes call them daemons.
– Apache; MySQL; Samba; etc.
– Many of them are open source software.
– You may have a chance to write them.

Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 2

2008-2009 Software Project Development
Realistic Server?
• Properties?

(Usually)
Run in background
No STDOUT nor STDERR?

(Usually)
I/O Redirection? Only one execution instance
is allowed. How?

Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 3

2008-2009 Software Project Development
Background process revisited…
• Using fork().
Filename: bg.c
int pid = fork();
if(pid == 0) {
while(1) This is the most easy part
sleep(1);
}
else {
printf(“Created a bg process: %d\n”, pid);
exit(0);
}

Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 4

2008-2009 Software Project Development
Background process revisited…
• How about STDOUT and STDERR?
int pid = fork(); Filename: bg_with_print.c
if(pid == 0) {
while(1) {
fprintf(stdout, “STDOUT: I’m alive\n”);
fprintf(stderr, “STDERR: I’m alive\n”);
sleep(1);
}
}
else {
printf(“Created a bg process: %d\n”, pid);
exit(0);
} $ ./bg_with_print
Created a bg process: 1234
$ STDOUT: I’m alive
Very irritating…you’ll STDERR: I’m alive
never find this kind of STDOUT: I’m alive
servers running… STDERR: I’m alive
......
Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 5
2008-2009 Software Project Development
Background process revisited…
• How about STDOUT and STDERR?
int pid = fork(); Filename: bg_with_print.c
if(pid == 0) {
while(1) {
fprintf(stdout, “STDOUT: I’m alive\n”);
fprintf(stderr, “STDERR: I’m alive\n”);
sleep(1);
}
}
else {
printf(“Created a bg process: %d\n”, pid);
exit(0);
} $ ./bg_with_print
Created a bg process: 1234
$ STDOUT: I’m alive
Very irritating…you’ll STDERR: I’m alive
never find this kind of STDOUT: I’m alive
servers running… STDERR: I’m alive
......
Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 6
2008-2009 Software Project Development
I/O redirection revisited…
• How about STDOUT and STDERR?
int pid = fork(); Filename: bg_with_redirect.c
char buf[1024];
if(pid == 0) {
sprintf(buf, “log/%d.stdout”, getpid());
YEAH! I can have a process
redirect(stdout, buf);
running silently, giving
sprintf(buf, “log/%d.stderr”, getpid()); outputs at the same time.
redirect(stderr, buf);

while(1) {
fprintf(stdout, “STDOUT: I’m alive\n”);*in_fp, char *buf) {
void redirect(FILE
fprintf(stderr, “STDERR:int
I’mfd
alive\n”);
= fileno(in_fp);
sleep(1); FILE *fp = fopen(buf, “w”);
} if(fp == NULL) { ...... }; // kill yourself
} close(fd);
else { dup2(fileno(fp), fd);
printf(“Created a bg process: %d\n”, pid);
fclose(fp);
exit(0); }
}

Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 7

2008-2009 Software Project Development
One-instance only?
• Using a technique called pidfile.
NO…
1st instance
Step (1) check if exist?
Apache 1234
Step (2) create and write

ist?
f ex /var/run/apache2.pid
cki
2nd instance che
(1)
p
Ste Ye
s…

Apache
Step (2) Kill himself!

Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 8

2008-2009 Software Project Development
One-instance only?
• Using a technique called pidfile.

1st instance
Step (1) remove file.
Apache 1234
5678
Step (2) Kill himself!
I wanna quit…
ist?
f ex /var/run/apache2.pid
cki
3rd instance che
(1)
p
Ste No
…

Apache d write
p (2 ) c reate an
St e

The story goes on…

Filename: bg_with_pidfile.c
Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 9
2008-2009 Software Project Development
 To be continued…
Spring semester CSC4140 – Open-Source Page 10
2008-2009 Software Project Development