What happens when many clients want to contact the server at the same time ?

1. What happens when many clients want to contact the server at the same time ? • The iterative approach consist in “enqueuing” the requests (this is done automatically by the system) and serving them one by one : • Accept the next connection and build the socket • Read request • Process request (send the response) • If there is a client with a small request will have to wait until the large requests are over • If more than the allowed number of clients at socket queue request a service during this time they are rejected !!! • There may be also some delays in serving clients by waiting some information (client are asked to type in something) • There are many Disk I/O operations in a file serving scenario which are normally “slow”and do not require network traffic or CPU • So there is a lot of resources standing idle with this schema

2. A CLIENT A SERVER A CLIENT 4444 A CLIENT A sequential (iterative) server attending more than a client

3. A CLIENT A SERVER A CLIENT 4444 A CLIENT During the transfer of the file the server cannot hear at the port 4444 for requests

4. A CLIENT A SERVER A CLIENT 4444 A CLIENT Only after the transmition is over the server can attend another request

5. A CLIENT A SERVER A CLIENT 4444 A CLIENT This may involve some delay (typing, transmitting large files)

6. A CLIENT A SERVER Timeout A CLIENT A CLIENT Sometimes a large waiting time for the client may mean a time out for the connection 4444

7. The Concurrent Server • A concurrent server can serve many clients at the same time • While transferring a file, it can still keep listening for requests • Every time a request comes, a new parallel line of statements execution is started for attending this request. After this the server can “hear” again at the server socket for further requests • Different approaches have been developed to implement parallel lines of executions within a program • The operative system plays an important role

8. A CLIENT A SERVER 4444 A CLIENT A CLIENT In concurrent servers there is a main program which listens for client requests

9. A CLIENT A SERVER 4444 A CLIENT A CLIENT After a client is contacted, a new line of execution is created which will attend the request in parallel.

10. A CLIENT A SERVER 4444 A CLIENT A CLIENT The main program will return to the listening loop while the first client is being attended, so it can accept another request

11. A CLIENT A SERVER 4444 A CLIENT A CLIENT … and create another parallel line of execution for attending the client

12. A CLIENT A SERVER 4444 A CLIENT A CLIENT … so a request of a third client can be immediately be accepted

13. A CLIENT A SERVER 4444 A CLIENT A CLIENT … thus having the three clients being attended in parallel

14. The Concurrent Server Algorithm Master program of the server 1. Create a server socket 2. Wait for and accept a client’s request 3. Create a parallel line of execution to attend the requirement of the new client 4. Goto 2. Slave (parallel) process : 1. Receive the parameters of the communication established by the master (socket or input/output data streams) 2. Attend client’s request (read filename, transfer data) 3. Return (disappear !)

15. Parallel Lines of execution • If there is only 1 CPU, why create parallel processes? • It often makes server programming easier. • Because there are more CPU involved !!!!! • The concept of parallel processes implemented at the S.O level appeared with UNIX and C. • In C a new process can be created by executing the fork() statement • int i = fork() creates an exact copy of the running process. Both continue executing the same program with the same variables. • For the “father” the value of i will be the id of the created process. For the child process this value will be 0 • When programming concurrent servers the father will be the main process accepting requests and the child will process the client’s request

16. A simplified example of the use of for for implementing concurrent servers main() { int pid, msock, ssock; msock = passivesock(port, “tcp”, qlen); /* see chapter 10.4 from Internetworking with tcp/ip from Douglas Commer for the implementation */ while(1) { ssock = accept(msock, &fsin, &alen); pid = fork(); if (pid == 0) { process client’s request; return; } }

17. Problems with fork() in UNIX • The creation of a new process is a time costly procedure • In some texts it is suggested to create a set of processes at the beginning which will be activated later by the main program. When a client arrives the parameters of the communication are passed vi pipes to child. • The new created process duplicates all the variables !!! • It is not easy to manage the processes which ended in an abnormal way. They keep the resources !!!. • Sometimes is preferred to use the “select” statement: it basically selects from an array of sockets the first one which has available data to read.

18. In JAVA is better to use Threads • A thread is a sequence or a flow of instructions which are executed in parallel to the main sequence of the program. It has a start and an end. • A thread can only be created and lives inside an already running process. A process can start as many threads as necessary. • Because of this, the main program has a better control of the threads it started. They can be created, started, suspended, or reactivated by the program. • Threads are implemented as methods of a certain class. When this method (normally called run) is activated, it starts to run in parallel to the method that called it. • As any other method, it can define its own set of variables

19. Using threads to implement concurrent servers Main (master) program: Create ServerSocket ss; while(true) { Socket s = ss.accept(); Create new thread with the socket s as parameter; start executing thread; } Define a thread class with a method called run which implements the processing of the clients request

20. Example import java.io.*; import java.net.*; public class ArchServidor { public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception { Socket cs = null; while(true) { System.out.println("Waiting for a client ... "); cs = ss.accept(); System.out.println(cs.getInetAddress()+" contacted "); System.out.println(“Creating thread to serve request"); ServeFileThread t = new ServeFileThread(cs); t.start(); } } }

21. Implementation of Threads • Define a new class which is an extension of the Thread class and overwrite its run() method. • Thread is an existing class • This thread class has a run method (originally with no statements) which will be executed in parallel when activated. • In order to execute this method a program must create an object of the extended class and apply the start() method to it. • The definition of the new Thread class should look like this: • public class MyThread extends Thread { • And somewhere should appear: • public void run() { //instructions to be executed in parallel }

22. Example public class ServeFileThread extends Thread { Socket cs; public ServeFileThread(Socket x) { cs = x; } public void run() { BufferedReader inSocket = new BufferedReader( new InputStreamReader(cs.getInputStream())); String fileName = inSocket.readLine(); FileInputStream inFile = new FileInputStream(fileName); OutputStream outSocket = cs.getOutputStream(); System.out.println("sending file "+fileName); int b; byte ab[] = new byte[1024]; while ((b= inFile.read(ab,0,1024) ) != -1) { outSocket.write(ab,0,b); } outSocket.close(); inFile.close(); inSocket.close(); } }

23. About threads and servers • See ActiveClock2 for an example of threads whose execution can be stopped and resumed • This is NOT the way the to stop threads (look at the API why suspend and resume are deprecated) • See ActiveClock3 for a better solution. • Servers normally implement an infinite loop for accepting clients. • In order to allow a clean stop of the server it should be normally be implemented as a thread

24. Example2-1 import java.io.*; import java.net.*; public class ArchServidor extends Thread { static boolean seguir = true; public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception { //get resources ArchServidor as = new ArchServidor(); as.start(); //release resources Scanner s = new Scanner(System.in); System.out.println(“press enter to stop server propperly”); String s.nextLine(); seguir = false; }

25. Example2-2 public void run() { Socket cs = null; while(seguir) { System.out.println("Waiting for a client ... "); cs = ss.accept(); System.out.println(cs.getInetAddress()+" contacted "); System.out.println(“Creating thread to serve request"); ServeFileThread t = new ServeFileThread(cs); t.start(); } } }

26. Sometimes you cannot program the server as an extension of a thread • For example, if the server has to implement a graphical interface it should be declared as an extension of a Frame, if it is programmed as an Applet it must extend the Applet class • The we can use the interface Runnable, which means the Server object will also be seen as a Runnable class and has to implement the run() method. • To initiate a parallel execution of the run method a Thread object must be created. In the creation a pointer to the server object (this) should be passed as parameter. With this, the Thread object will have access to the run method. • The run method implemented in the server class will be executed by performing start() on the new created Thread object.

27. First Example public class MyServer implements Runnable { MyServer() { //this is the constructor } public void run() { //code to be executed in a thread } public static void main(String args[]) { MyServer mc = new MyServer(); Thread t = new Thread(mc); t.start(); } }

28. Second Example public class MyServer implements Runnable { MyServer() { //this is the constructor Thread t = new Thread(this); t.start(); } public void run() { //code to be executed in a thread } public static void main(String args[]) { MyServer mc = new MyServer(); } }

29. Example: A simple concurrent web server • First version: (Httpd1.java) only to serve files (html and images) but it is easily extensible for serving different types of requirements • For each client a new thread is created • The filename of the request is not filtered in order to keep the program small GET fileX HTTP1.1 GET fileY HTTP1.1 send fileX tb1 bc1 tb2 send fileY bc2 read fileX read fileY tbi = thread for browser i bci = browser for computer i

30. A web server generating dynamic html content • Instead of asking for a filename the browser asks for a classname. In order to tell the server that the requested file is a class the browser has to send a specific • When this is the case, an object of this class is created and a certain (predefined process ) method is invoked • The method of this class writes directly to the browser through the output stream of the socket GET /servlet/servletX HTTP1.1 GET /servlet/servletY?querystring HTTP1.1 tb2 send fileX Creates object writes output generated dynamically (e.g. the current time) bc2 ot2 tbi = thread for browser i bci = browser for computer i oti = object created for thread i

31. A web server generating dynamic html content • With this schema we can define different classes of objects which extend from BaseServlet and overwrite the process method in order to have them doing different things • For Example, a class calls MyServlet and extends BasicServlet and overwrites the process method • Browser contacts server with request /servlet/MyServlet • Servlet creates a MyServlet object (casted as BasicServlet) and invokes process method • The process method of MyServlet will be performed See: Echo BasicServlet Creates object Extends ot2 MyServlet Is of class

32. Implementing state in a web server • The server must keep tracking of the different users that contact it • The client must submit this information • The Echo2 class keeps track of a “shopping cart” for different users • The client must submit a request like: u=username&p=productcode&q=number

33. NoSyncronClient N++ NoSyncronClient NoSyncronClient A number provider Give Number Ask number NoSincronServer Give Number Give Number Ask Number Ask number

34. Critical regions in Java • A critical region is a piece of code that should be executed by only one thread at the same time to prevent concurrent access to some variables or resources. • Java provides basically two methods for controlling concurrent access to resources • You can declare a whole method as a critical region • Just put synchronized at the beginning of the method declaration • You can use the semaphore of any object • Create any object Object o = new Object() • Start the critical region with synchronized(o) {…….} • Another way to use semaphores in java is with wait() and notify()

35. Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello Broadcasting a text to many clients

36. 4444 The server: receiving a new client Client contacts server at 4444

37. 4444 The server: receiving a new client A new socket is placed and the output channel is opened They are kept in an array

38. BraodcastServerNF BroadcastCliente The server: Broadcasting a message Type a message When a message is entered the server will distribute it to the connected clients

39. Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello It is now easy to extend this to a chat system

40. Server must be listening to requests of new clients AND to messages which are sent by already connected • Client must be listening to messages from the server AND to the keyboard for messages the user wants to transmit. • There are many approaches for implementing this in TCP/IP • No one is the “absolute correct” solution, all them have their advantages and drawbacks • Normally (like everywhere in computers) “faster” solutions will use more memory Conditions for implementing a chat system

41. The server: • A thread listens to new clients trying to join the chat party • When a new clients connects, a PrintWriter and a BufferedReader for that client are created. The print Writer is kept in a vector • A thread is created and receives a pointer to the PrintWriters’ vector and the BufferedReader. It reads the input from the client and writes it to all PrintWriters (clients) • The client • The main method (procedure) will contact the server, create a thread and start it. Then it will read lines from the keabord and send it to the server • A thread will read input from the server and display it on a text area • See: Chat1Server.java, Chat1ClientThread.java & Chat1ClientNW Solution 1a

42. The server: • A thread listens to new clients trying to join the chat party • When a new clients connects, a PrintWriter and a BufferedReader for that client are created. The print Writer is kept in a vector • A thread is created and receives a pointer to the PrintWriters’ vector and the BufferedReader. It reads the input from the client and writes it to all PrintWriters (clients) • The client • Graphical interface for reading lines from the keyboard (there is a thread which triggers the execution of the actionPerformed method) and sends it to the server • A thread will read input from the server and display it on a text area • See: Chat1Server.java, Chat1ClientThread.java & Chat1Client Solution 1b

43. New Client Client3 Client1 Client2 Solution 1 Schema Thread BufferedReader PrintWriter

44. The server: • The server has only one thread listening at one port for attending all the requests of the clients. • The clients contact the server for registering (reg), sending a message (msg) or logging out (des) • The server keeps a PrintWiter vector to keep track about which clients participate in the chat party. Additionally, it keeps a vector with the nicknames of the clients • The client • Graphical interface for reading lines from the keyboard (there is a thread which triggers the execution of the actionPerformed method) and sends it to the server. It also shows the nicknames of the participants • A thread will read input from the server. This can be a message (msg) or a refreshment of the login list • See: CICChat.java & CICServer.java Solution 2

45. New Client Client1 Client2 Solution 2 Schema

46. Client3 Client1 Client2 Solution 2

47. Peer-to-peer solution for TCP/IP • Every program should be client and server at the same time • When a new member wants to join the party, he/she shoud contact anyone of the group and ask for the list of contacts • After retrieving the list of contacts (hostnames or addresses) he/she should open an input and output channel with everyone (including the one who provided the list)

48. Peer-to-peer solution: a user starts a chat party by listening on a port for others wanting to join

49. A user wanting to join contacts the initiator. An InputStream and an OutputStream is opened on each

50. A third user may contact anyone and recover the list of participants, in this case each one has the address of the other in the list