[Vortex] [ANN] Vortex Library 1.0.3 "Hands open release" is ready!

Francis Brosnan Blazquez francis at aspl.es
Wed May 30 20:46:24 CEST 2007


              ######################################
              ##       Vortex Library 1.0.3       ##
              ##       "Hands open release"       ##
              ######################################

Release note
~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Advanced Software Production Line is proud to announce the Vortex
  Library 1.0.3 "Hands open release" availability: an open source "BEEP
  Core" protocol implementation written in C, mapped onto TCP/IP.

  Vortex Library has been developed inside the Af-Arch project as its
  data transport layer.

  Vortex Library is a stable and robust application protocol
  development toolkit. Currently it is running under Microsoft Windows
  and GNU/Linux platforms.

  Check out the following links to get ready with Vortex Library:

    - http://vortex.aspl.es 
      [Vortex Library homepage]
 
    - http://www.sf.net/projects/vortexlibrary
      [Sources and Win32 binaries]

    - http://fact.aspl.es
      [Af-Arch homepage where Vortex Library is being developed]

    - http://www.beepcore.org
      [BEEP Core community web site]

    - http://xml.aspl.es
      [Axl Library, XML 1.0 implementation]
    
The release in short
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Finally, vortex library no longer depends on Glib and GThread. It
  now includes its own abstraction layer for the threading API
  (supporting POSIX and win32 backend).

  Implemented a new general purpose filtering mechanism (Profile
  Masks) which allows to configure and control which profiles can be
  selected. This have been used by Turbulence to implement a powerful
  administrative configuration which allows to mix, select, and filter
  profiles according to serverName parameter, peer remote address,
  profiles that are already initiated, etc.

  The xml-rpc-gen tool is now fully tested, being considered as a
  stable tool.

  Updated Vortex I/O waiting API to support poll(2) and epoll(2)
  system calls when available. The new added API allows to select each
  mechanism at run-time even during transmission!

  Implemented a fully working TUNNEL profile, allowing every BEEP
  profile implemented on top of Vortex to be TUNNELed through a BEEP
  proxy at run-time without any modification. Turbulence uses this
  TUNNEL implementation to provide a general TUNNEL BEEP server, with
  an administrative configuration.

  Lot of work have been done to increase the Vortex Library run-time
  performance, reducing its memory consumption. Client regression test
  used at 1.0.2 was completed with 14.244 seconds, while the similar
  test (with more checkings added) is completed in 5.832 seconds. 
  
Thanks to..
~~~~~~~~~~~
  Thomas Unterleitner (reported and fixed wrong signal configuration
  at the windows platform). 

  Milton Yates (fixed warnings at vortex main header, fixed missing
  parameter received in the validation resource function for the
  xml-rpc implementation)

  Martin Huter (provided really useful patches to integrate poll(2)
  and epoll(2) into vortex).

Change notifications
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  [1] vortex-axllist-api-01
  http://lists.aspl.es/pipermail/vortex/2007-April/000149.html
  
  [2] vortex-async-queue-api-01
  http://lists.aspl.es/pipermail/vortex/2007-April/000150.html


Changes since 1.0.2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* [fix] Added #ifdef macros to avoid exposing signal configuration
  while compiling vortex.c under windows (Reported and fixed by Thomas
  Unterleitner).

* [fix] Fixed some warnings caused by header definitions at vortex
  module.  (Reported and fixed by Milton Yates).

* [fix] Fixed a missing parameter received in the validation resource
function
  for the xml-rpc implementation (Reported and fixed by Milton Yates).

* [new] Added new module to implement a portable threading API,
  supporting initially POSIX and windows API. The new API includes
  basic support to create threads, support for mutex and support for
  conditional vars. Replaced all calls to previous api g_mutex_*,
  g_thread_* and g_cond*.  Checked that the result properly executes
  the regression test.  API added:

   - VortexThread (type)
   - vortex_thread_create
   - VortexThreadConf (enum)
   - VortexMutex (type)
   - vortex_mutex_create
   - vortex_mutex_destroy
   - vortex_mutex_lock
   - vortex_mutex_unlock
   - VortexCond (type)
   - vortex_cond_create
   - vortex_cond_signal
   - vortex_cond_broadcast
   - vortex_cond_wait
   - vortex_cond_timedwait
   - vortex_cond_destroy

* [fix] Replaced all calls to the g_static_mutex* api with new API
  provided.

* [fix] Removed vortex semaphore modules. It is no longer required.

* [new] Committing initial headers to implement a message queue, to
replace
  current implementation based on GAsyncQueue.

* [new] Implemented a replacement for GAsyncQueue, with the API
  required:

   - VortexAsyncQueue (type)
   - vortex_async_queue_new
   - vortex_async_queue_ref
   - vortex_async_queue_unref
   - vortex_async_queue_push
   - vortex_async_queue_pop
   - vortex_async_queue_timedpop
   - vortex_async_queue_length
   - vortex_async_queue_waiters

* [fix] replace calls to previous message queue API with the new one
  provided: VortexAsyncQueue. Replaced all calls to previous logging
  facilities, using new one provided by vortex_log. Ensured all
  regression test work properly.

* [fix] Updated regression test to conform with the new changes
  introduced. Removed pkg-config reference to gthread-2.0
  module. Removed all gthread initialization code.

* [fix] Updated vortex hash handling provided by vortex connection and
  vortex channel modules, to fully use services provided by axlHash
  (removed previous code that was adding support to configure a
  key_destroy and a func_destroy per item, which is supported by axl
  hash).

* [new] Added new API to replace an item into the VortexHash
  configuring the key and value destroy function. Added also a
  function to get and clear a data from the hash atomically. API
  added:

    - vortex_hash_replace_full
    - vortex_hash_lookup_and_clear

* [fix] Making vortex_channel_get_piggyback to use
  vortex_hash_lookup_and_clear to avoid possible race condition.

* [fix] Reimplemented vortex queue module internals to use axlList
  rather than GQueue. Checked library status against regression test.

* [new] Added support to implement a profile filtering mechanism that
  allows to install user space handlers which are executed by vortex
  to check if a profile could be used (in many contexts, for example
  while producing the greetings reply, or returning remote side
  profiles supported). Updated vortex internals, sasl and tls
  implementation to use this new feature. Nice!  API added:

   - VortexProfileMaskFunc (handler)
   - vortex_connection_set_profile_mask
   - vortex_connection_is_profile_filtered


* [fix] fixed wrong conditional wait at vortex_async_queue_timedpop.

* [fix] Fixed race condition causing channel module to dealloc an
  string which is later used while closing the channel 0 acting as a
  listener.

* [fix] committing missing channel module headers for previous fix.

* [new] Updated vortex-regression-client to check vortex on close
  connection notification functions.

* [fix] Simplified internal implementation for the full on close
  connection notification, to use axlList rather than GList, storing the
  handler and the data associated inside a single node.

* [fix] Reimplemented channel closing functions, at the connection
  close to replace GList previous implementation with axlList. Used
  destroy notification functions from axlList to improve channel
  closing.

* [fix] Fixed bug and memory leak at the channel extended start
  handling, causing to not use the error reply produced by the profile
  implantation, loosing that content and the memory reference.

* [fix] Fixed memory leak at the sasl implementation, causing to
  double-allocate the password returned for the CRAM-MD5 and the
  DIGEST-MD5.

* [fix] Updated implementation for vortex_profiles_get_actual_list, to
  use axlList rather than GList.

* [fix] Fixed documentation references, and removed VortexSemaphore
  declaration.

* [fix] several fixings to make the new threading layer to properly
  work on windows.

* [fix] Updating version and configure.ac files.

* [fix] Updated compilation files for windows: removed reference to
  vortex semaphore module, added vortex thread.

* [fix] Fixed race condition at __vortex_connection_set_not_connected.


* [fix] xml-rpc-gen: replaced getline implementation with a portable
  one, that is available on windows and linux. Updated tool headers to
  include some definitions to avoid to make the tool available on
  windows.

* [fix] Included initial support to the poll interface, and reworked
  race condition fixed previously on windows which was causing
  problems on linux.

* [fix] Committing update to the libvortex.def to remove function which
  are not available on windows and updated Makefile.am to produce a
  proper .def file.

* [new] Added support to vortex library to change the I/O wait API at
  runtime.  Integrated into regression tests, and now vortex tests
  are changed against all available I/O API installed. GREAT!!  API
  added:
 
     - vortex_io_waiting_use
     - vortex_io_waiting_is_available
     - vortex_io_waiting_get_current
  
* [new] Added support to use poll(2) system call to perform I/O
  waiting, which is selectable at any time. (Martin Huter reported and
  provided really useful patches to integrate poll(2) into
  vortex). GREAT!!

* [new] Added new API to allow setting and getting run time
  configuration used by the library. Implemented initial support to
  get current listen backlog and socket number limit
  configuration. Making vortex listener module to use this value while
  allocating new listeners. API added:

     - vortex_conf_get
     - vortex_conf_set
     - VORTEX_LISTENER_BACKLOG, VORTEX_SOFT_SOCK_LIMIT,
VORTEX_HARD_SOCK_LIMIT.

* [fix] Removed all references to G_OS_UNIX and G_OS_WIN32, replaced
  by its similar macros found in axl.

* [fix] Fixed bug which was causing to get a listener connection
  locked into the situation where no more sockets could be allocated
  (making accept call to fail) due to system limits reached, but at
  the same time the listener completed connection queue (backlog) is
  full and always reporting for pending events to be processed.

* [fix] Finished initial implementation to configure vortex_conf_set.

* [new] Added complete support for the epoll(2) interface, fully
  tested and integrated into the regression test (Thanks for Martin
  Huter for providing useful information and patches to integrate
  poll and epoll).

* [new] Making vortex compile configuration to detect and check the
  better I/O waiting interface, to make it the default one. Now, the
  library supports select(2), poll(2) and epoll(2).

* [fix] Fixed a bug inside the select(2) I/O implementation which was
  causing to overrun the file set buffer, leading to weird bugs.

* [fix] Making vortex master listener connection to also have data
  hash initialized.

* [fix] Making vortex_connection_is_ok to activate free on fail
  feature in all cases.

* [new] Updated all vortex io interface to provide support for
  automatic dispatch, allowing to improve performance one those
  mechanism that can implement it. For now, poll(2) and epoll(2)
  implements it. API added:
 
   - VortexIoHaveDispatch
   - VortexIoDispatchFunc
   - VortexIODispatch
   - vortex_io_waiting_set_have_dispatch
   - vortex_io_waiting_set_dispatch
   - vortex_io_waiting_invoke_have_dispatch
   - vortex_io_waiting_invoke_dispatch

* [new] Added new function to check queue items at a vortex async
  queue.  API added:

   - vortex_async_queue_items

* [fix] Making vortex reader to take check result provided by
  vortex_io_waiting_invoke_add_to_fd_group to drop the connection not
  fully handled.

* [fix] Making vortex reader to check for automatic dispatch for the
  current I/O mechanism selected, and fallback into the default check
  based on "is-set".

* [fix] Making vortex_io_waiting_use to be callable before
  vortex_init.

* [fix] Removed G_GINT64_CONSTANT declaration for MAX_SEQ_MOD.

* [fix] Fixing documentation error and updated windows definition
  file.

* [fix] Committing updates to include checkings to activate I/O support
  from vortex. Updated version files and latest change notification.

* [fix] Updated documentation to include references to the new I/O
  support.
  
* [fix] Fixed bug at the SASL server side layer which was causing to
  not allow renegotiate the sasl auth once a previous failed one was
  done.

* [fix] Making channel 0 start message handling to check if the
  profile requested is filtered for the connection that is holding the
  request.

* [fix] Updating autoconf files to check and properly detect threading
  installation.

* [fix] Improved epoll checks to ensure it is really supported (not
  only by checking headers).

* [fix] Fixed wrong declaration for pthread flags.

* [fix] Fixed and updated vortex documentation.

* [new] Added initial files and modifications to support the TUNNEL
  profile.  Updated vortex handlers and types to include some initial
  definitions.  Added new module vortex tunnel. API added:

   - VortexTunnelSettings (type)
   - VortexTunnelItem (TUNNEL_END_CONF, TUNNEL_FQDN, TUNNEL_PORT
                       TUNNEL_IP4, TUNNEL_IP6, TUNNEL_SRV,
                       TUNNEL_URI, TUNNEL_ENDPOINT).
   - vortex_tunnel_settings_new
   - vortex_tunnel_settings_add_hop
   - vortex_tunnel_new
   - vortex_tunnel_settings_free

* [fix] Fixed bug introduced at the xml-rpc-gen tool due to its port
  to windows while reading lines from the user command line.

* [new] Finished TUNNEL profile implementation for client, server and
  middle hop. Great!!!

* [fix] Updated several tests to check the TUNNEL profile including
  regression tests and the client connections test.

* [fix] Making vortex_cond_wait and vortex_cond_timedwait to return a
  status value to report any error found. Used this update to ensure
  the wait-for-pending-replies feature implemented at the BEEP close
  to limit that operation if the session is closed not properly.

* [fix] Fixed wrong SEQ frame handler which was reporting to update
  the receiving window without waiting to be used half of the window
  already reported.

* [fix] Making vortex log handler to check only one time for the
  environment variable, reducing the overhead due to calling getenv.

* [fix] Updated vortex TLS implementation to base is tuning reset on
  the preread handler rather than the on close connection.

* [new] Added new functions to the TUNNEL api already implemented to
  check if TUNNEL profile is available, to produce proxy settings from
  a xml content and to make a BEEP peer to accept TUNNEL incoming
  request and a function to set a handler which is executed to
  resolver particular TUNNEL settings such as "endpoint", "profile"
  and "srv".

   - vortex_tunnel_is_enabled
   - vortex_tunnel_settings_new_from_xml
   - vortex_tunnel_accept_negotiation
   - vortex_tunnel_set_resolver

* [fix] Implemented an xml document cache for greetings parsing which
  is shows an stable patern, allowing to reduce the greetings parsing
  overhead from 35.17% to 10.45% (callgrind results).

* [fix] Implemented a hostname resolution cache on top of
  gethostbyname, solving its possible reentrant problems on some
  platform and speeding up host name resolution previously done.

* [fix] Making channel close reply validation to try doing a fast
  validation by checking the common string replied rather than using
  axl services to parse a minimal string.

* [fix] Making vortex channel frame received for channel 0 to use a
  fast check (based on inspecting payload headers) to detect the kind
  of message avoiding to move the payload into the xml level.

* [fix] Removed frame received on channel 0 validation which is
  performed later by each handler (start, close, ok, error).

* [fix] Fixed client connections (was not properly configuring proxy).

* [fix] Making vortex tunnel ok reply handling to use fast string
  checking before going into translating the reply into a xml doc.

* [fix] Removed GThreadFunc definitions replaced with
  VortexThreadFunc.

* [fix] Making vortex tunnel listener implementation to check for
  "<tunnel />" profile content, to quickly detect end point tunnel
  request.

* [fix] Making vortex channel start reply handling to use a reply
  cache allowing to greatly improve channel creation.

* [fix] Making some work at the vortex tunnel start request handling
  to reuse references, avoiding double memory allocation patterns.

* [fix] Updated vortex_greetings_send function to use an internal list
  from the vortex profiles rather than reallocating a new one for each
  greetings done, and removed all allocation code to build the
  greetings message, replaced by a memcpy/strlen construction.
  Reduced function overhead from 21.49% (total run-time cost,
  according to callgrind results using regression tests) to
  3.64%. Great!

* [new] Making vortex_listener_set_on_connection_accepted to support
  any number of handlers to be executed on connection accepted.

* [new] Making vortex-client to allow requesting to create new
  channels using profiles even not adviced by the listener peer.

* [fix] updated profile mask support to allow notify the rest of
  parameters that are involved in the channel creation.

* [new] Added a new function to get the first channel found on a
  connection running a profile. API added:
  
    - vortex_connection_get_channel_by_uri

* [fix] Making vortex listener server on accept new connection event
  to be triggered before the initial greetings is about to be sent.

* [new] Updated vortex hash API to allow performing foreach operations
  with two user defined pointers. API added:

   - vortex_hash_foreach2

* [fix] fixed vortex_connection_get_channel_by_uri, using previous
  function implemented.

* [new] Making vortex to allow creating channel that are even not
  advised by the remote peer. Updated vortex conf API to allow
  configuring this behavior which is allow creating any channel
  requested by default. API updated:

   VORTEX_CONF_ENFORCE_PROFILES_SUPPORTED (enum for vortex_conf_* API).

* [new] General internal update to finally remove glib dependency.
  Checked regression tests and memory consumed. Initial results shows
  no problem.

* [new] Added some documentation to show how to use the TUNNEL
  profile.

* [fix] general updates and fixings to make latest vortex library base
  code to compile and properly run on windows. I can't write more
  changes because my wife is getting annoyed!

* [fix] Removed requirement to return at least one profile in the
  initial greetings. This is now an accepted case for the vortex
  library: sending empty greetings. This is now used by turbulence and
  its profile path, to hide profiles according to the environment
  context.

* [fix] Moving to the public header all marks used from the sasl
  module to make them more available while using these marks with
  turbulence "connmark" support.

* [fix] Fixed some compilation warnings at the vortex support module
  and documented SASL marks that can be used by turbulence.

* [fix] Fixing bug at vortex_support_getenv_int while getting
  variables not defined.

* [fix] Added an internal flag (__COMPILING_VORTEX__) to protect code
  definitions that must be used while compiling vortex library, but
  not used by vortex API consumers.

* [fix] Removed MAX(a,b) definition from vortex support header because
  it is not strongly used, and because it is causing
  collisions. Updated vortex reader to use standard ?: statement to
  check for the max value.

* [fix] Updated documentation to reflect current dependencies and
  installation instructions.

* [fix] Removed glib dependency from the pkg-config file.

* [fix] Making xml-rpc-gen tool to allow including the '%' character
  inside the inline source code, at the IDL definition, without
  requiring to place an escaped sequence as: %%.

* [fix] Fixed bug which was causing to not properly append all content
  found inside the source code inline declaration at IDL format.

* [fix] Fixed wrong source code generation for array of ints at the
  server interface.

* [fix] Fixed wrong source code generation for array of strings.

* [fix] Fixed wrong source code generation for an array of booleans.

* [fix] General update to the tool to accept the type "bool" as the
  type "boolean".

* [fix] Making vortex sequencer to not flag the connection as non
  connected, avoiding race conditions with the vortex reader and the
  user space code.

About Us
~~~~~~~~

  Advanced Software Production Line is leading the Af-Arch project: a
  complete framework to develop distributed application to manage
  enterprise process.

  Af-Arch project relies on Vortex Library to exchange data between
  its distributed nodes.

  Advanced Software Production Line also provides GNU/Linux support
  and consulting services to help organization to introduce GNU/Linux
  inside its process.

  Contact us, using English or Spanish, to get commercial support
  and/or BEEP based development services.

  You can reach us:

       http://www.aspl.es - info at aspl.es

  We hope Vortex Library help you. Enjoy Vortex Library!  

--
Francis Brosnan Blázquez           - francis at aspl.es
Advanced Software Production Line  - http://www.aspl.es
30th may 2007, Madrid (Spain)




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