//! This module defines `RequestContext`, a structure that we use throughout //! the pageserver to propagate high-level context from places //! that _originate_ activity down to the shared code paths at the //! heart of the pageserver. It's inspired by Golang's `context.Context`. //! //! For example, in `Timeline::get(page_nr, lsn)` we need to answer the following questions: //! 1. What high-level activity ([`TaskKind`]) needs this page? //! We need that information as a categorical dimension for page access //! statistics, which we, in turn, need to guide layer eviction policy design. //! 2. How should we behave if, to produce the page image, we need to //! on-demand download a layer file ([`DownloadBehavior`]). //! //! [`RequestContext`] satisfies those needs. //! The current implementation is a small `struct` that is passed through //! the call chain by reference. //! //! ### Future Work //! //! However, we do not intend to stop here, since there are other needs that //! require carrying information from high to low levels of the app. //! //! Most importantly, **cancellation signaling** in response to //! 1. timeouts (page_service max response time) and //! 2. lifecycle requests (detach tenant, delete timeline). //! //! Related to that, there is sometimes a need to ensure that all tokio tasks spawned //! by the transitive callees of a request have finished. The keyword here //! is **Structured Concurrency**, and right now, we use `task_mgr` in most places, //! `TaskHandle` in some places, and careful code review around `FuturesUnordered` //! or `JoinSet` in other places. //! //! We do not yet have a systematic cancellation story in pageserver, and it is //! pretty clear that [`RequestContext`] will be responsible for that. //! So, the API already prepares for this role through the //! [`RequestContext::detached_child`] and [`RequestContext::attached_child`] methods. //! See their doc comments for details on how we will use them in the future. //! //! It is not clear whether or how we will enforce Structured Concurrency, and //! what role [`RequestContext`] will play there. //! So, the API doesn't prepare us for this topic. //! //! Other future uses of `RequestContext`: //! - Communicate compute & IO priorities (user-initiated request vs. background-loop) //! - Request IDs for distributed tracing //! - Request/Timeline/Tenant-scoped log levels //! //! RequestContext might look quite different once it supports those features. //! Likely, it will have a shape similar to Golang's `context.Context`. //! //! ### Why A Struct Instead Of Method Parameters //! //! What's typical about such information is that it needs to be passed down //! along the call chain from high level to low level, but few of the functions //! in the middle need to understand it. //! Further, it is to be expected that we will need to propagate more data //! in the future (see the earlier section on future work). //! Hence, for functions in the middle of the call chain, we have the following //! requirements: //! 1. It should be easy to forward the context to callees. //! 2. To propagate more data from high-level to low-level code, the functions in //! the middle should not need to be modified. //! The solution is to have a container structure ([`RequestContext`]) that //! carries the information. Functions that don't care about what's in it //! pass it along to callees. //! //! ### Why Not Task-Local Variables //! //! One could use task-local variables (the equivalent of thread-local variables) //! to address the immediate needs outlined above. //! However, we reject task-local variables because: //! 1. they are implicit, thereby making it harder to trace the data flow in code //! reviews and during debugging, //! 2. they can be mutable, which enables implicit return data flow, //! 3. they are restrictive in that code which fans out into multiple tasks, //! or even threads, needs to carefully propagate the state. //! //! In contrast, information flow with [`RequestContext`] is //! 1. always explicit, //! 2. strictly uni-directional because RequestContext is immutable, //! 3. tangible because a [`RequestContext`] is just a value. //! When creating child activities, regardless of whether it's a task, //! thread, or even an RPC to another service, the value can //! be used like any other argument. //! //! The solution is that all code paths are infected with precisely one //! [`RequestContext`] argument. Functions in the middle of the call chain //! only need to pass it on. use crate::task_mgr::TaskKind; // The main structure of this module, see module-level comment. #[derive(Clone, Debug)] pub struct RequestContext { task_kind: TaskKind, download_behavior: DownloadBehavior, access_stats_behavior: AccessStatsBehavior, page_content_kind: PageContentKind, } /// The kind of access to the page cache. #[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Debug, enum_map::Enum, strum_macros::IntoStaticStr)] pub enum PageContentKind { Unknown, DeltaLayerBtreeNode, DeltaLayerValue, ImageLayerBtreeNode, ImageLayerValue, InMemoryLayer, } /// Desired behavior if the operation requires an on-demand download /// to proceed. #[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Debug)] pub enum DownloadBehavior { /// Download the layer file. It can take a while. Download, /// Download the layer file, but print a warning to the log. This should be used /// in code where the layer file is expected to already exist locally. Warn, /// Return a PageReconstructError::NeedsDownload error Error, } /// Whether this request should update access times used in LRU eviction #[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Debug)] pub(crate) enum AccessStatsBehavior { /// Update access times: this request's access to data should be taken /// as a hint that the accessed layer is likely to be accessed again Update, /// Do not update access times: this request is accessing the layer /// but does not want to indicate that the layer should be retained in cache, /// perhaps because the requestor is a compaction routine that will soon cover /// this layer with another. Skip, } pub struct RequestContextBuilder { inner: RequestContext, } impl RequestContextBuilder { /// A new builder with default settings pub fn new(task_kind: TaskKind) -> Self { Self { inner: RequestContext { task_kind, download_behavior: DownloadBehavior::Download, access_stats_behavior: AccessStatsBehavior::Update, page_content_kind: PageContentKind::Unknown, }, } } pub fn extend(original: &RequestContext) -> Self { Self { // This is like a Copy, but avoid implementing Copy because ordinary users of // RequestContext should always move or ref it. inner: RequestContext { task_kind: original.task_kind, download_behavior: original.download_behavior, access_stats_behavior: original.access_stats_behavior, page_content_kind: original.page_content_kind, }, } } /// Configure the DownloadBehavior of the context: whether to /// download missing layers, and/or warn on the download. pub fn download_behavior(mut self, b: DownloadBehavior) -> Self { self.inner.download_behavior = b; self } /// Configure the AccessStatsBehavior of the context: whether layer /// accesses should update the access time of the layer. pub(crate) fn access_stats_behavior(mut self, b: AccessStatsBehavior) -> Self { self.inner.access_stats_behavior = b; self } pub(crate) fn page_content_kind(mut self, k: PageContentKind) -> Self { self.inner.page_content_kind = k; self } pub fn build(self) -> RequestContext { self.inner } } impl RequestContext { /// Create a new RequestContext that has no parent. /// /// The function is called `new` because, once we add children /// to it using `detached_child` or `attached_child`, the context /// form a tree (not implemented yet since cancellation will be /// the first feature that requires a tree). /// /// # Future: Cancellation /// /// The only reason why a context like this one can be canceled is /// because someone explicitly canceled it. /// It has no parent, so it cannot inherit cancellation from there. pub fn new(task_kind: TaskKind, download_behavior: DownloadBehavior) -> Self { RequestContextBuilder::new(task_kind) .download_behavior(download_behavior) .build() } /// Create a detached child context for a task that may outlive `self`. /// /// Use this when spawning new background activity that should complete /// even if the current request is canceled. /// /// # Future: Cancellation /// /// Cancellation of `self` will not propagate to the child context returned /// by this method. /// /// # Future: Structured Concurrency /// /// We could add the Future as a parameter to this function, spawn it as a task, /// and pass to the new task the child context as an argument. /// That would be an ergonomic improvement. /// /// We could make new calls to this function fail if `self` is already canceled. pub fn detached_child(&self, task_kind: TaskKind, download_behavior: DownloadBehavior) -> Self { self.child_impl(task_kind, download_behavior) } /// Create a child of context `self` for a task that shall not outlive `self`. /// /// Use this when fanning-out work to other async tasks. /// /// # Future: Cancellation /// /// Cancelling a context will propagate to its attached children. /// /// # Future: Structured Concurrency /// /// We could add the Future as a parameter to this function, spawn it as a task, /// and track its `JoinHandle` inside the `RequestContext`. /// /// We could then provide another method to allow waiting for all child tasks /// to finish. /// /// We could make new calls to this function fail if `self` is already canceled. /// Alternatively, we could allow the creation but not spawn the task. /// The method to wait for child tasks would return an error, indicating /// that the child task was not started because the context was canceled. pub fn attached_child(&self) -> Self { self.child_impl(self.task_kind(), self.download_behavior()) } /// Use this function when you should be creating a child context using /// [`attached_child`] or [`detached_child`], but your caller doesn't provide /// a context and you are unwilling to change all callers to provide one. /// /// Before we add cancellation, we should get rid of this method. /// /// [`attached_child`]: Self::attached_child /// [`detached_child`]: Self::detached_child pub fn todo_child(task_kind: TaskKind, download_behavior: DownloadBehavior) -> Self { Self::new(task_kind, download_behavior) } fn child_impl(&self, task_kind: TaskKind, download_behavior: DownloadBehavior) -> Self { Self::new(task_kind, download_behavior) } pub fn task_kind(&self) -> TaskKind { self.task_kind } pub fn download_behavior(&self) -> DownloadBehavior { self.download_behavior } pub(crate) fn access_stats_behavior(&self) -> AccessStatsBehavior { self.access_stats_behavior } pub(crate) fn page_content_kind(&self) -> PageContentKind { self.page_content_kind } }