path: root/report/chapters/4-arch-d.tex

\chapter{Structure and Design}

\epigraph{In general, when modeling phenomena in science and
  engineering, we begin with simplified, incomplete models. As we
  examine things in greater detail, these simple models become
  inadequate and must be replaced by more refined
  models.}{\textit{Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs,
    Section 1.1.5}\cite{sicp}}

\section{Structure of combox}

\begin{figure}[h]
\includegraphics[scale=0.6]{4-combox-structure}
\caption{High level view of combox on two computers.}
\label{fig:4-combox-structure}
\end{figure}

\subsection{combox configuration}

\subsection{combox directory monitor}

\subsection{Node directory monitor}

\subsection{Database structure}

\section{combox modules overview}

combox is spread into modules that have functions and/or classes. As
of \verb+2016-02-04+ combox is considerably a small program:

\begin{verbatim}
$ wc -l combox/*.py
  144 combox/cbox.py
  178 combox/config.py
  241 combox/crypto.py
  891 combox/events.py
  541 combox/file.py
  454 combox/gui.py
    0 combox/__init__.py
   71 combox/log.py
  278 combox/silo.py
   29 combox/_version.py
 2827 total
\end{verbatim}

This section gives an overview of each of the combox modules with
extreme brevity:

\begin{description}
\item[combox.cbox] This module contains \verb+run_cb+ function runs
  combox; it creates an instance \verb+threading.Lock+ for database
  access and a shared \verb+threading.Lock+ for the
  \verb+combox.events.ComboxDirMonitor+ and
  \verb+combox.events.NodeDirMonitor+; it initializes an instance
  \verb+combox.events.ComboxDirMonitor+ that monitors the combox
  directory and an instance of \verb+combox.events.NodeDirMonitor+ for
  each node directory for monitoring the node directories. This
  modules also houses the \verb+main+ function that parses commandline
  arguments, starts combox configuration if needed or loads the combox
  configuration file to start running combox.
\item[combox.config] Accomodates two import functions --
  \verb+config_cb+ and \verb+get_nodedirs+. The \verb+config_cb+ is
  the combox configuration function that allows the user to configure
  combox; this function was designed in a such way that it was
  possible to use for both CLI and GUI methods of configuring
  combox. The \verb+get_nodedirs+ function returns, as a list, the
  paths of the node directories; this function use used in numerous
  places in other combox modules.
\item[combox.crypto] This has functions for encrypting and decrypting
  data; encrypting and decrypting shards (\verb+encrypt_shards+ and
  \verb+decrypt_shards+); a function for splitting a file into shards,
  encrypting those shards and spreading them across node directories
  (\verb+split_and_encrypt+); a function for decrypting the shards
  from the node directories, reconstructing the file from the
  decrypted shards and put the file back to the combox directory
  (\verb+decrypt_and_glue+). Functions \verb+split_and_encrypt+ and
  \verb+decrypt_and_glue+ are the two functions that that are
  extensively used by the \verb+combox.events+ module; all other
  functions in this module are pretty much helper functions are
  \verb+split_and_encrypt+ and \verb+decrypt_and_glue+ functions and
  are not used by other modules.
\item[combox.events] This module took the most time to write and test
  and it is the most complex module in combox at the time of writing
  this report. It contains just two classes -- \verb+ComboxDirMonitor+
  and \verb+NodeDirMonitor+. The \verb+ComboxDirMonitor+ inherits the
  \verb+watchdog.events.LoggingEventHandler+ and is responsible for
  monitoring for changes in the combox directory and doing the right
  thing when change happens in the combox directory. The
  \verb+NodeDirMonitor+ also inherits
  \verb+watchdog.events.LoggingEventHandler+ and similarly responsible
  for monitoring a node directory and doing the right thing when a
  change happens in the node directory; subjectively,
  \verb+NodeDirMonitor+ is slightly more complex than the
  \verb+ComboxDirMonitor+.
\item[combox.file] This is the second largest module in combox. It
  contains utility functions for reading, writing, moving
  files/directiores, hashing files, splitting a file into shards, glue
  shards into a file, manipulating directories inside combox and node
  directories.
\item[combox.gui] Contains the \verb+ComboxConfigDialog+ class; it is
  the graphical interface for configuring combox. The class uses the
  Tkinter library\cite{pylib:tkinter} for spawing graphical
  elements. Other graphical libraries include PyQt\cite{pylib:qt}
  were considered Tkinter was chosen over others because it works on
  all Unix systems and Microsoft's Windows and it is part of the core
  python (version 3).
\item[combox.log] All the messages to \verb+stdout+ and \verb+stderr+
  are sent through the functions \verb+log_i+ and \verb+log_e+
  functions defined in this module.
\item[combox.silo] Contains the \verb+ComboxSilo+ class which is the
  canonical interface for combox for managing information about the
  files in the combox directory. Internally, the \verb+ComboxSilo+
  class uses the pickleDB library\cite{pylib:pickledb}.
\item[combox.\_version] This is \emph{private} module that contains
  variables that contain the value of the present version and release
  of combox. The \verb+get_version+ function in this module returns
  the full version number; this function used by \verb+setup.py+.
\end{description}

\section{Language choice}

Back in October of 2014, I was learning to write in Python and when I
had to start working on combox, I chose to write combox in Python. In
my first commit to the combox repository, I had to say this about
Python:

\begin{verbatim}
commit 2def977472b2e77ee88c9177f2d03f12b0263eb0
Author: rsiddharth <rsiddharth@ninthfloor.org>
Date:   Wed Oct 29 23:24:58 2014 -0400

    Initial commit: File splitter & File gluer done.

    ...

    I like to write python FWIW. But after reading a dialect of Lisp when
    I come back to python, it does not look very beautiful. I guess I'm
    pretty convinced that there is no language that can ape the beauty of
    Lisp.
\end{verbatim}

If I were to write that commit message today (\verb+2016-02-04+), I
would've phrased my reflections about Python differently. While I've
not found a language that is as intrinsically beautiful as Lisp, I
think it is not quite right to compare Lisp and Python. Python is a
very readable language and it tends to be very accessible to
beginners. Also, it is hard to write unreadable Python code.

\section{DRY}

The core functionality of combox is to split, encrypt file shards,
spread them across node directories (Google Drive and Dropbox) and
decrypt, glue shards and put them back to the combox directory when a
file is created/modified/deleted/moved in another computer. The plan
was to use external libraries to accomplish things that fell outside
the realm of what I consider the ``core functionality of combox''; the
main reason behind this decision was to duly be an indolent programmer
and not indulge in trying to solve problems that others have already
solved.

The \verb+watchdog+\cite{pylib:watchdog} library was chosen for file
monitoring; this library is compatible with Unix systems and
Windows. The \verb+pycrypto+ library\cite{pylib:pycrypto} was used for
encrypting data; combox uses AES encryption scheme to encrypt file
shards. The \verb+pickleDB+\cite{pylib:pickledb} library was used to
store information about files in the combox directory; this library is
not very clean, but, it was what I exactly looking for, if there was
no \verb+pickleDB+, I would've most probably written something similar
to it and made it as part of combox.

Looking back, the decision to use external libraries reduced the
complexity of combox, reduced the time to complete the initial working
version of combox and made it possible to spend more than 3 months
just testing and fixing issues in combox.

\section{Operating system compatibility}\label{4-os-compat}

combox was developed on a GNU/Linux machine, a conscious effort was
made to write in an operating system independent way. The top criteria
for choosing a library to use in combox was that it had to be
compatible on \emph{all} of the three major computing platforms in
2014-2016\footnote{GNU/Linux, OS X and, Windows}.

As we were nearing the \verb+0.1.0+ release, combox was tested on OS X
(See chapter \ref{ch:5}) and OS X specific issues that were found
eventually were eventually fixed. The initial \verb+0.1.0+ release was
compatible with GNU/Linux and OS X.

After the initial release of combox, we wanted to see if combox would
be compatible with Windows. We found that:

\begin{itemize}
\item Setting up the parapharnalia to run combox was
  non-trivial\cite{doc:combox-setup-windoze}.
\item The unit tests for the \verb+combox.file+ module royally failed.
\end{itemize}

At the time of writing the report, combox is in version \verb+0.2.2+
and it still not compatible with Windows. Comprehensive documentation
of setting up the development environment for combox on Windows was
written\cite{doc:combox-setup-windoze} to make it less cumbersome for
anyone who would want to work on making combox compatible with
Windows.

\section{combox as a python package}\label{4-pypi}

Before version \verb+0.2.0+, the canonical way to install combox was
to pull the source from the \verb+git+ repository with:

\begin{verbatim}
  git clone git://ricketyspace.net/combox.git
\end{verbatim}

Then, do:

\begin{verbatim}
  cd combox
\end{verbatim}

Finally install combox with:

\begin{verbatim}
  python setup.py install
\end{verbatim}

Yes, installing combox on a machine was indeed non-trivial.

Python has a package registry called CheeseShop\footnote{code name for
  Python Package Index, see https://wiki.python.org/moin/CheeseShop};
all packages registered at the CheeseShop can be installed using
\verb+pip+ -- Python's platform independent package managment
system\cite{py:pip} -- with:

\begin{verbatim}
  pip install packagename
\end{verbatim}

To make it easier for (python) users to install combox on their
machine, an effort was made to make it a python
package\cite{py:package-guide}. From version \verb+0.2.0+, combox has
been registered python package at the CheeseShop. (Python) users can
now easily get a copy of combox on their machine with:

\begin{verbatim}
  pip install combox
\end{verbatim}

All versions of combox that is available through the CheeseShop are
digitally signed using the following GPG key:

\begin{verbatim}
pub   4096R/00B252AF 2014-09-08 [expires: 2017-09-07]
      Key fingerprint = C174 1162 CEED 5FE8 9954  A4B9 9DF9 7838 00B2 52AF
uid                  Siddharth Ravikumar (sravik) <sravik@bgsu.edu>
sub   4096R/09CECEDB 2014-09-08 [expires: 2017-09-07]
\end{verbatim}

All versions of combox's source are also available as a compressed
\verb+TAR+ ball and as a \verb+ZIP+ archive; they can be downloaded
from \url{https://ricketyspace.net/combox/releases.html}.

\section{With the benefit of hindsight}\label{4-hindsight}

combox's node monitor (\verb+combox.events.NodeDirMonitor+) was
written with the assumption that the node monitor will be the only
entity that will be making changes to the node directory that it is
monitoring. When started testing combox with node clients (Dropbox
client and Google Drive client), we observed that the node clients
made changes to the node directory when a file was
created/modified/renamed/deleted; for instance, when a shard, in the
Dropbox node directory, was modified on a remote computer, the Dropbox
client would first pull the newer version of the shard under the
\verb+.dropbox.cache+ directory as a temprorary file, move the older
version of the shard under \verb+.dropbox.cache+ as a backup, and
finally move the latest version of the shard, stored as a temprorary
file under the \verb+.dropbox.cache+ directory, to the respective
location in the Dropbox node directory; when a shard, in the Google
Drive node directory, was remotely modified on a remote computer, the
Google Drive client would delete the older version of the shard from
the Google Drive node directory and then create the newer version of
the shard in the respective location under the Google Drive node
directory. Since combox did not know about the node client's
behaviour, it confused combox and broke it royally; we had to make
major changes to the \verb+combox.eventns.NodeDirMonitor+ class to
make combox aware of the node client's behavior, this eventually
brutally obliterated the simplicity of the
\verb+combox.eventns.NodeDirMonitor+ class which I was proud of.

I'm not sure how I would have written the \verb+combox.events+ module
if I had known about the Dropbox and Google Drive client's behaviour
before writing the \verb+combox.events.NodeDirMonitor+ or the
\verb+combox.events.ComboxDirMonitor+ classes. Looking back, if there one
thing I would want to re-think/redo, it is the \verb+combox.events+
module.

The most important lesson I'm taking away from the experience of
writing combox is the insight of how easy it is to ruthless crush the
simplicity of a program due to unforeseen use cases.

\verb+<3+