Introduce asynchronous management of consul server lists

Instead of blocking the RPC call path and performing a potentially expensive calculation (including a call to `c.LANMembers()`), introduce a channel to request a rebalance.  Some events don't force a reshuffle, instead the extend the duration of the current rebalance window because the environment thrashed enough to redistribute a client's load.

consul/client.go

@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ func NewClient(config *Config) (*Client, error) {
 		shutdownCh: make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 
-	c.serverMgr = server_manager.NewServerManager(c.logger, c.shutdownCh)
+	c.serverMgr = server_manager.NewServerManager(c.logger, c.shutdownCh, c.serf)
 
 	// Start consulServers maintenance
 	go c.serverMgr.StartServerManager()

consul/client_test.go

@@ -83,6 +83,12 @@ func TestClient_JoinLAN(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := c1.JoinLAN([]string{addr}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
+	numServers := c1.serverMgr.GetNumServers()
+	testutil.WaitForResult(func() (bool, error) {
+		return numServers == 1, nil
+	}, func(err error) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected consul server: %d", numServers)
+	})
 
 	// Check the members
 	testutil.WaitForResult(func() (bool, error) {
@@ -93,9 +99,10 @@ func TestClient_JoinLAN(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("bad len")
 	})
 
+	numServers = c1.serverMgr.GetNumServers()
 	// Check we have a new consul
 	testutil.WaitForResult(func() (bool, error) {
-		return c1.serverMgr.GetNumServers() == 1, nil
+		return numServers == 1, nil
 	}, func(err error) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected consul server")
 	})

consul/server_manager/server_manager.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/consul/server_details"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/lib"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/serf/serf"
 )
 
 type consulServerEventTypes int
@@ -23,6 +24,11 @@ const (
 	// connection load across servers
 	consulServersRebalance
 
+	// consulServersRefreshRebalanceDuration is used to signal when we
+	// should reset the rebalance duration because the server list has
+	// changed and we don't need to proactively change our connection
+	consulServersRefreshRebalanceDuration
+
 	// consulServersRPCError is used to signal when a server has either
 	// timed out or returned an error and we would like to have the
 	// server manager find a new preferredServer.
@@ -47,6 +53,11 @@ const (
 	// queries are sent over an established connection to a single server
 	clientRPCMinReuseDuration = 120 * time.Second
 
+	// initialRebalanceTimeoutHours is the initial value for the
+	// rebalanceTimer.  This value is discarded immediately after the
+	// client becomes aware of the first server.
+	initialRebalanceTimeoutHours = 24
+
 	// Limit the number of new connections a server receives per second
 	// for connection rebalancing.  This limit caps the load caused by
 	// continual rebalancing efforts when a cluster is in equilibrium.  A
@@ -61,6 +72,14 @@ const (
 	// will take ~26min for all servers to rebalance.  A 10K cluster in
 	// the same scenario will take ~2.6min to rebalance.
 	newRebalanceConnsPerSecPerServer = 64
+
+	// maxConsulServerManagerEvents is the size of the consulServersCh
+	// buffer.
+	maxConsulServerManagerEvents = 16
+
+	// defaultClusterSize is the assumed cluster size if no serf cluster
+	// is available.
+	defaultClusterSize = 1024
 )
 
 // serverCfg is the thread-safe configuration structure that is used to
@@ -71,9 +90,6 @@ const (
 type serverConfig struct {
 	// servers tracks the locally known servers
 	servers []*server_details.ServerDetails
-
-	// Timer used to control rebalancing of servers
-	rebalanceTimer *time.Timer
 }
 
 type ServerManager struct {
@@ -86,11 +102,20 @@ type ServerManager struct {
 	// maintenance of the list of consulServers
 	consulServersCh chan consulServerEventTypes
 
+	// refreshRebalanceDurationCh is used to signal that a refresh should
+	// occur
+	refreshRebalanceDurationCh chan bool
+
 	// shutdownCh is a copy of the channel in consul.Client
 	shutdownCh chan struct{}
 
 	// logger uses the provided LogOutput
 	logger *log.Logger
+
+	// serf is used to estimate the approximate number of nodes in a
+	// cluster and limit the rate at which it rebalances server
+	// connections
+	serf *serf.Serf
 }
 
 // AddServer takes out an internal write lock and adds a new server.  If the
@@ -150,8 +175,8 @@ func (sm *ServerManager) CycleFailedServers() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	serverCfg.resetRebalanceTimer(sm)
 	sm.saveServerConfig(serverCfg)
+	sm.requestRefreshRebalanceDuration()
 }
 
 // cycleServers returns a new list of servers that has dequeued the first
@@ -211,16 +236,18 @@ func (sm *ServerManager) getServerConfig() serverConfig {
 
 // NewServerManager is the only way to safely create a new ServerManager
 // struct.
-func NewServerManager(logger *log.Logger, shutdownCh chan struct{}) (sm *ServerManager) {
+func NewServerManager(logger *log.Logger, shutdownCh chan struct{}, serf *serf.Serf) (sm *ServerManager) {
 	// NOTE(sean@): Can't pass *consul.Client due to an import cycle
 	sm = new(ServerManager)
 	sm.logger = logger
+	sm.serf = serf
 	sm.consulServersCh = make(chan consulServerEventTypes, maxConsulServerManagerEvents)
 	sm.shutdownCh = shutdownCh
 
+	sm.refreshRebalanceDurationCh = make(chan bool, maxConsulServerManagerEvents)
+
 	sc := serverConfig{}
 	sc.servers = make([]*server_details.ServerDetails, 0)
-	sc.rebalanceTimer = time.NewTimer(time.Duration(initialRebalanceTimeoutHours * time.Hour))
 	sm.serverConfigValue.Store(sc)
 	return sm
 }
@@ -259,8 +286,8 @@ func (sm *ServerManager) RebalanceServers() {
 	}
 	serverCfg.servers = newServers
 
-	serverCfg.resetRebalanceTimer(sm)
 	sm.saveServerConfig(serverCfg)
+	sm.requestRefreshRebalanceDuration()
 }
 
 // RemoveServer takes out an internal write lock and removes a server from
@@ -291,27 +318,45 @@ func (sm *ServerManager) RemoveServer(server *server_details.ServerDetails) {
 	}
 }
 
-// resetRebalanceTimer assumes:
+// requestRefreshRebalanceDuration sends a message to which causes a background
-//
+// thread to recalc the duration
-// 1) the serverConfigLock is already held by the caller.
+func (sm *ServerManager) requestRefreshRebalanceDuration() {
-// 2) the caller will call serverConfigValue.Store()
+	sm.refreshRebalanceDurationCh <- true
-func (sc *serverConfig) resetRebalanceTimer(sm *ServerManager) {
+}
-	numConsulServers := len(sc.servers)
+
+// requestServerRebalance sends a message to which causes a background thread
+// to reshuffle the list of servers
+func (sm *ServerManager) requestServerRebalance() {
+	sm.consulServersCh <- consulServersRebalance
+}
+
+// refreshServerRebalanceTimer is called
+func (sm *ServerManager) refreshServerRebalanceTimer(timer *time.Timer) {
+	serverCfg := sm.getServerConfig()
+	numConsulServers := len(serverCfg.servers)
 	// Limit this connection's life based on the size (and health) of the
 	// cluster.  Never rebalance a connection more frequently than
 	// connReuseLowWatermarkDuration, and make sure we never exceed
 	// clusterWideRebalanceConnsPerSec operations/s across numLANMembers.
 	clusterWideRebalanceConnsPerSec := float64(numConsulServers * newRebalanceConnsPerSecPerServer)
 	connReuseLowWatermarkDuration := clientRPCMinReuseDuration + lib.RandomStagger(clientRPCMinReuseDuration/clientRPCJitterFraction)
-	numLANMembers := 16384 // Assume sufficiently large for now. FIXME: numLanMembers := len(c.LANMembers())
+
+	// Assume a moderate sized cluster unless we have an actual serf
+	// instance we can query.
+	numLANMembers := defaultClusterSize
+	if sm.serf != nil {
+		numLANMembers = sm.serf.NumNodes()
+	}
 	connRebalanceTimeout := lib.RateScaledInterval(clusterWideRebalanceConnsPerSec, connReuseLowWatermarkDuration, numLANMembers)
 	sm.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] consul: connection will be rebalanced in %v", connRebalanceTimeout)
 
-	if sc.rebalanceTimer == nil {
+	timer.Reset(connRebalanceTimeout)
-		sc.rebalanceTimer = time.NewTimer(connRebalanceTimeout)
+}
-	} else {
+
-		sc.rebalanceTimer.Reset(connRebalanceTimeout)
+// saveServerConfig is a convenience method which hides the locking semantics
-	}
+// of atomic.Value from the caller.
+func (sm *ServerManager) saveServerConfig(sc serverConfig) {
+	sm.serverConfigValue.Store(sc)
 }
 
 // StartServerManager is used to start and manage the task of automatically
@@ -319,7 +364,9 @@ func (sc *serverConfig) resetRebalanceTimer(sm *ServerManager) {
 // happens either when a new server is added or when a duration has been
 // exceed.
 func (sm *ServerManager) StartServerManager() {
-	var rebalanceTimer *time.Timer
+	var rebalanceTimer *time.Timer = time.NewTimer(time.Duration(initialRebalanceTimeoutHours * time.Hour))
+	var rebalanceTaskDispatched int32
+
 	func() {
 		sm.serverConfigLock.Lock()
 		defer sm.serverConfigLock.Unlock()
@@ -330,8 +377,6 @@ func (sm *ServerManager) StartServerManager() {
 		}
 		var serverCfg serverConfig
 		serverCfg = serverCfgPtr.(serverConfig)
-		serverCfg.resetRebalanceTimer(sm)
-		rebalanceTimer = serverCfg.rebalanceTimer
 		sm.saveServerConfig(serverCfg)
 	}()
 
@@ -340,13 +385,14 @@ func (sm *ServerManager) StartServerManager() {
 		case e := <-sm.consulServersCh:
 			switch e {
 			case consulServersNodeJoin:
-				sm.logger.Printf("[INFO] consul: new node joined cluster")
+				sm.logger.Printf("[INFO] server manager: new node joined cluster")
-				sm.RebalanceServers()
+				// rebalance on new server
+				sm.requestServerRebalance()
 			case consulServersRebalance:
-				sm.logger.Printf("[INFO] consul: rebalancing servers by request")
+				sm.logger.Printf("[INFO] server manager: rebalancing servers by request")
 				sm.RebalanceServers()
 			case consulServersRPCError:
-				sm.logger.Printf("[INFO] consul: need to find a new server to talk with")
+				sm.logger.Printf("[INFO] server manager: need to find a new server to talk with")
 				sm.CycleFailedServers()
 				// FIXME(sean@): wtb preemptive Status.Ping
 				// of servers, ideally parallel fan-out of N
@@ -360,7 +406,21 @@ func (sm *ServerManager) StartServerManager() {
 				// their RPC time too low even though the
 				// Ping did return successfully?
 			default:
-				sm.logger.Printf("[WARN] consul: unhandled LAN Serf Event: %#v", e)
+				sm.logger.Printf("[WARN] server manager: unhandled LAN Serf Event: %#v", e)
+			}
+		case <-sm.refreshRebalanceDurationCh:
+			chanLen := len(sm.refreshRebalanceDurationCh)
+			// Drain all messages from the rebalance channel
+			for i := 0; i < chanLen; i++ {
+				<-sm.refreshRebalanceDurationCh
+			}
+			// Only run one rebalance task at a time, but do
+			// allow for the channel to be drained
+			if atomic.CompareAndSwapInt32(&rebalanceTaskDispatched, 0, 1) {
+				go func() {
+					defer atomic.StoreInt32(&rebalanceTaskDispatched, 0)
+					sm.refreshServerRebalanceTimer(rebalanceTimer)
+				}()
 			}
 		case <-rebalanceTimer.C:
 			sm.logger.Printf("[INFO] consul: server rebalance timeout")

consul/server_manager/server_manager_internal_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+package server_manager
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"log"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/consul/server_details"
+)
+
+var (
+	localLogger    *log.Logger
+	localLogBuffer *bytes.Buffer
+)
+
+func init() {
+	localLogBuffer = new(bytes.Buffer)
+	localLogger = log.New(localLogBuffer, "", 0)
+}
+
+func GetBufferedLogger() *log.Logger {
+	return localLogger
+}
+
+func testServerManager() (sm *ServerManager) {
+	logger := GetBufferedLogger()
+	shutdownCh := make(chan struct{})
+	sm = NewServerManager(logger, shutdownCh, nil)
+	return sm
+}
+
+// func (sc *serverConfig) cycleServer() (servers []*server_details.ServerDetails) {
+func TestServerManagerInternal_cycleServer(t *testing.T) {
+	sm := testServerManager()
+	sc := sm.getServerConfig()
+
+	server0 := &server_details.ServerDetails{Name: "server1"}
+	server1 := &server_details.ServerDetails{Name: "server2"}
+	server2 := &server_details.ServerDetails{Name: "server3"}
+	sc.servers = append(sc.servers, server0, server1, server2)
+	sm.saveServerConfig(sc)
+
+	sc = sm.getServerConfig()
+	if len(sc.servers) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("server length incorrect: %d/3", len(sc.servers))
+	}
+	if sc.servers[0] != server0 &&
+		sc.servers[1] != server1 &&
+		sc.servers[2] != server2 {
+		t.Fatalf("initial server ordering not correct")
+	}
+
+	sc.servers = sc.cycleServer()
+	if len(sc.servers) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("server length incorrect: %d/3", len(sc.servers))
+	}
+	if sc.servers[0] != server1 &&
+		sc.servers[1] != server2 &&
+		sc.servers[2] != server0 {
+		t.Fatalf("server ordering after one cycle not correct")
+	}
+
+	sc.servers = sc.cycleServer()
+	if len(sc.servers) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("server length incorrect: %d/3", len(sc.servers))
+	}
+	if sc.servers[0] != server2 &&
+		sc.servers[1] != server0 &&
+		sc.servers[2] != server1 {
+		t.Fatalf("server ordering after two cycles not correct")
+	}
+
+	sc.servers = sc.cycleServer()
+	if len(sc.servers) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("server length incorrect: %d/3", len(sc.servers))
+	}
+	if sc.servers[0] != server0 &&
+		sc.servers[1] != server1 &&
+		sc.servers[2] != server2 {
+		t.Fatalf("server ordering after three cycles not correct")
+	}
+}
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) getServerConfig() serverConfig {
+func TestServerManagerInternal_getServerConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	sm := testServerManager()
+	sc := sm.getServerConfig()
+	if sc.servers == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("serverConfig.servers nil")
+	}
+
+	if len(sc.servers) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("serverConfig.servers length not zero")
+	}
+}
+
+// func NewServerManager(logger *log.Logger, shutdownCh chan struct{}) (sm *ServerManager) {
+func TestServerManagerInternal_NewServerManager(t *testing.T) {
+	sm := testServerManager()
+	if sm == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ServerManager nil")
+	}
+
+	if sm.logger == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ServerManager.logger nil")
+	}
+
+	if sm.consulServersCh == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ServerManager.consulServersCh nil")
+	}
+
+	if sm.shutdownCh == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ServerManager.shutdownCh nil")
+	}
+}
+
+// func (sc *serverConfig) resetRebalanceTimer(sm *ServerManager) {
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) saveServerConfig(sc serverConfig) {
+func TestServerManagerInternal_saveServerConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	sm := testServerManager()
+
+	// Initial condition
+	func() {
+		sc := sm.getServerConfig()
+		if len(sc.servers) != 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("ServerManager.saveServerConfig failed to load init config")
+		}
+
+		newServer := new(server_details.ServerDetails)
+		sc.servers = append(sc.servers, newServer)
+		sm.saveServerConfig(sc)
+	}()
+
+	// Test that save works
+	func() {
+		sc1 := sm.getServerConfig()
+		t1NumServers := len(sc1.servers)
+		if t1NumServers != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("ServerManager.saveServerConfig failed to save mutated config")
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// Verify mutation w/o a save doesn't alter the original
+	func() {
+		newServer := new(server_details.ServerDetails)
+		sc := sm.getServerConfig()
+		sc.servers = append(sc.servers, newServer)
+
+		sc_orig := sm.getServerConfig()
+		origNumServers := len(sc_orig.servers)
+		if origNumServers >= len(sc.servers) {
+			t.Fatalf("ServerManager.saveServerConfig unsaved config overwrote original")
+		}
+	}()
+}

consul/server_manager/server_manager_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+package server_manager_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"log"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/consul/server_details"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/consul/server_manager"
+)
+
+var (
+	localLogger    *log.Logger
+	localLogBuffer *bytes.Buffer
+)
+
+func init() {
+	localLogBuffer = new(bytes.Buffer)
+	localLogger = log.New(localLogBuffer, "", 0)
+}
+
+func GetBufferedLogger() *log.Logger {
+	return localLogger
+}
+
+func makeMockServerManager() (sm *server_manager.ServerManager) {
+	logger, shutdownCh := mockServerManager()
+	sm = server_manager.NewServerManager(logger, shutdownCh, nil)
+	return sm
+}
+
+func mockServerManager() (logger *log.Logger, shutdownCh chan struct{}) {
+	logger = GetBufferedLogger()
+	shutdownCh = make(chan struct{})
+	return logger, shutdownCh
+}
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) AddServer(server *server_details.ServerDetails) {
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) CycleFailedServers() {
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) FindHealthyServer() (server *server_details.ServerDetails) {
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) GetNumServers() (numServers int) {
+func TestServerManager_GetNumServers(t *testing.T) {
+	sm := makeMockServerManager()
+	var num int
+	num = sm.GetNumServers()
+	if num != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected zero servers to start")
+	}
+
+	s := &server_details.ServerDetails{}
+	sm.AddServer(s)
+	num = sm.GetNumServers()
+	if num != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected one server after AddServer")
+	}
+}
+
+// func NewServerManager(logger *log.Logger, shutdownCh chan struct{}) (sm *ServerManager) {
+func TestServerManager_NewServerManager(t *testing.T) {
+	sm := makeMockServerManager()
+	if sm == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ServerManager nil")
+	}
+}
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) NotifyFailedServer(server *server_details.ServerDetails) {
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) RebalanceServers() {
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) RemoveServer(server *server_details.ServerDetails) {
+
+// func (sm *ServerManager) StartServerManager() {