trustgraph/docs/tech-specs/import-export-graceful-shutdown.md

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default	Import/Export Graceful Shutdown Technical Specification	Tech Specs

Import/Export Graceful Shutdown Technical Specification

Problem Statement

The TrustGraph gateway currently experiences message loss during websocket closure in both import and export operations. This occurs due to race conditions where messages in transit are discarded before reaching their destination (Pulsar queues for imports, websocket clients for exports).

Import-Side Issues

1. Publisher's asyncio.Queue buffer is not drained on shutdown
2. Websocket closes before ensuring queued messages reach Pulsar
3. No acknowledgment mechanism for successful message delivery

Export-Side Issues

1. Messages are acknowledged in Pulsar before successful delivery to clients
2. Hard-coded timeouts cause message drops when queues are full
3. No backpressure mechanism for handling slow consumers
4. Multiple buffer points where data can be lost

Architecture Overview

Import Flow:
Client -> Websocket -> TriplesImport -> Publisher -> Pulsar Queue

Export Flow:
Pulsar Queue -> Subscriber -> TriplesExport -> Websocket -> Client

Proposed Fixes

1. Publisher Improvements (Import Side)

A. Graceful Queue Draining

File: trustgraph-base/trustgraph/base/publisher.py

class Publisher:
    def __init__(self, client, topic, schema=None, max_size=10,
                 chunking_enabled=True, drain_timeout=5.0):
        self.client = client
        self.topic = topic
        self.schema = schema
        self.q = asyncio.Queue(maxsize=max_size)
        self.chunking_enabled = chunking_enabled
        self.running = True
        self.draining = False  # New state for graceful shutdown
        self.task = None
        self.drain_timeout = drain_timeout

    async def stop(self):
        """Initiate graceful shutdown with draining"""
        self.running = False
        self.draining = True
        
        if self.task:
            # Wait for run() to complete draining
            await self.task

    async def run(self):
        """Enhanced run method with integrated draining logic"""
        while self.running or self.draining:
            try:
                producer = self.client.create_producer(
                    topic=self.topic,
                    schema=JsonSchema(self.schema),
                    chunking_enabled=self.chunking_enabled,
                )

                drain_end_time = None
                
                while self.running or self.draining:
                    try:
                        # Start drain timeout when entering drain mode
                        if self.draining and drain_end_time is None:
                            drain_end_time = time.time() + self.drain_timeout
                            logger.info(f"Publisher entering drain mode, timeout={self.drain_timeout}s")
                        
                        # Check drain timeout
                        if self.draining and time.time() > drain_end_time:
                            if not self.q.empty():
                                logger.warning(f"Drain timeout reached with {self.q.qsize()} messages remaining")
                            self.draining = False
                            break
                        
                        # Calculate wait timeout based on mode
                        if self.draining:
                            # Shorter timeout during draining to exit quickly when empty
                            timeout = min(0.1, drain_end_time - time.time())
                        else:
                            # Normal operation timeout
                            timeout = 0.25
                        
                        # Get message from queue
                        id, item = await asyncio.wait_for(
                            self.q.get(),
                            timeout=timeout
                        )
                        
                        # Send the message (single place for sending)
                        if id:
                            producer.send(item, { "id": id })
                        else:
                            producer.send(item)
                            
                    except asyncio.TimeoutError:
                        # If draining and queue is empty, we're done
                        if self.draining and self.q.empty():
                            logger.info("Publisher queue drained successfully")
                            self.draining = False
                            break
                        continue
                        
                    except asyncio.QueueEmpty:
                        # If draining and queue is empty, we're done  
                        if self.draining and self.q.empty():
                            logger.info("Publisher queue drained successfully")
                            self.draining = False
                            break
                        continue
                
                # Flush producer before closing
                if producer:
                    producer.flush()
                    producer.close()

            except Exception as e:
                logger.error(f"Exception in publisher: {e}", exc_info=True)

            if not self.running and not self.draining:
                return

            # If handler drops out, sleep a retry
            await asyncio.sleep(1)

    async def send(self, id, item):
        """Send still works normally - just adds to queue"""
        if self.draining:
            # Optionally reject new messages during drain
            raise RuntimeError("Publisher is shutting down, not accepting new messages")
        await self.q.put((id, item))

Key Design Benefits:

• Single Send Location: All producer.send() calls happen in one place within the run() method
• Clean State Machine: Three clear states - running, draining, stopped
• Timeout Protection: Won't hang indefinitely during drain
• Better Observability: Clear logging of drain progress and state transitions
• Optional Message Rejection: Can reject new messages during shutdown phase

B. Improved Shutdown Order

File: trustgraph-flow/trustgraph/gateway/dispatch/triples_import.py

class TriplesImport:
    async def destroy(self):
        """Enhanced destroy with proper shutdown order"""
        # Step 1: Stop accepting new messages
        self.running.stop()
        
        # Step 2: Wait for publisher to drain its queue
        logger.info("Draining publisher queue...")
        await self.publisher.stop()
        
        # Step 3: Close websocket only after queue is drained
        if self.ws:
            await self.ws.close()

2. Subscriber Improvements (Export Side)

A. Integrated Draining Pattern

File: trustgraph-base/trustgraph/base/subscriber.py

class Subscriber:
    def __init__(self, client, topic, subscription, consumer_name,
                 schema=None, max_size=100, metrics=None,
                 backpressure_strategy="block", drain_timeout=5.0):
        # ... existing init ...
        self.backpressure_strategy = backpressure_strategy
        self.running = True
        self.draining = False  # New state for graceful shutdown
        self.drain_timeout = drain_timeout
        self.pending_acks = {}  # Track messages awaiting delivery
        
    async def stop(self):
        """Initiate graceful shutdown with draining"""
        self.running = False
        self.draining = True
        
        if self.task:
            # Wait for run() to complete draining
            await self.task
            
    async def run(self):
        """Enhanced run method with integrated draining logic"""
        while self.running or self.draining:
            if self.metrics:
                self.metrics.state("stopped")

            try:
                self.consumer = self.client.subscribe(
                    topic = self.topic,
                    subscription_name = self.subscription,
                    consumer_name = self.consumer_name,
                    schema = JsonSchema(self.schema),
                )

                if self.metrics:
                    self.metrics.state("running")

                logger.info("Subscriber running...")
                drain_end_time = None

                while self.running or self.draining:
                    # Start drain timeout when entering drain mode
                    if self.draining and drain_end_time is None:
                        drain_end_time = time.time() + self.drain_timeout
                        logger.info(f"Subscriber entering drain mode, timeout={self.drain_timeout}s")
                        
                        # Stop accepting new messages from Pulsar during drain
                        self.consumer.pause_message_listener()
                    
                    # Check drain timeout
                    if self.draining and time.time() > drain_end_time:
                        async with self.lock:
                            total_pending = sum(
                                q.qsize() for q in 
                                list(self.q.values()) + list(self.full.values())
                            )
                            if total_pending > 0:
                                logger.warning(f"Drain timeout reached with {total_pending} messages in queues")
                        self.draining = False
                        break
                    
                    # Check if we can exit drain mode
                    if self.draining:
                        async with self.lock:
                            all_empty = all(
                                q.empty() for q in 
                                list(self.q.values()) + list(self.full.values())
                            )
                            if all_empty and len(self.pending_acks) == 0:
                                logger.info("Subscriber queues drained successfully")
                                self.draining = False
                                break
                    
                    # Process messages only if not draining
                    if not self.draining:
                        try:
                            msg = await asyncio.to_thread(
                                self.consumer.receive,
                                timeout_millis=250
                            )
                        except _pulsar.Timeout:
                            continue
                        except Exception as e:
                            logger.error(f"Exception in subscriber receive: {e}", exc_info=True)
                            raise e

                        if self.metrics:
                            self.metrics.received()

                        # Process the message
                        await self._process_message(msg)
                    else:
                        # During draining, just wait for queues to empty
                        await asyncio.sleep(0.1)

            except Exception as e:
                logger.error(f"Subscriber exception: {e}", exc_info=True)

            finally:
                # Negative acknowledge any pending messages
                for msg in self.pending_acks.values():
                    self.consumer.negative_acknowledge(msg)
                self.pending_acks.clear()

                if self.consumer:
                    self.consumer.unsubscribe()
                    self.consumer.close()
                    self.consumer = None

            if self.metrics:
                self.metrics.state("stopped")

            if not self.running and not self.draining:
                return

            # If handler drops out, sleep a retry
            await asyncio.sleep(1)

    async def _process_message(self, msg):
        """Process a single message with deferred acknowledgment"""
        # Store message for later acknowledgment
        msg_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
        self.pending_acks[msg_id] = msg
        
        try:
            id = msg.properties()["id"]
        except:
            id = None
            
        value = msg.value()
        delivery_success = False
        
        async with self.lock:
            # Deliver to specific subscribers
            if id in self.q:
                delivery_success = await self._deliver_to_queue(
                    self.q[id], value
                )
            
            # Deliver to all subscribers
            for q in self.full.values():
                if await self._deliver_to_queue(q, value):
                    delivery_success = True
        
        # Acknowledge only on successful delivery
        if delivery_success:
            self.consumer.acknowledge(msg)
            del self.pending_acks[msg_id]
        else:
            # Negative acknowledge for retry
            self.consumer.negative_acknowledge(msg)
            del self.pending_acks[msg_id]
                
    async def _deliver_to_queue(self, queue, value):
        """Deliver message to queue with backpressure handling"""
        try:
            if self.backpressure_strategy == "block":
                # Block until space available (no timeout)
                await queue.put(value)
                return True
                
            elif self.backpressure_strategy == "drop_oldest":
                # Drop oldest message if queue full
                if queue.full():
                    try:
                        queue.get_nowait()
                        if self.metrics:
                            self.metrics.dropped()
                    except asyncio.QueueEmpty:
                        pass
                await queue.put(value)
                return True
                
            elif self.backpressure_strategy == "drop_new":
                # Drop new message if queue full
                if queue.full():
                    if self.metrics:
                        self.metrics.dropped()
                    return False
                await queue.put(value)
                return True
                
        except Exception as e:
            logger.error(f"Failed to deliver message: {e}")
            return False

Key Design Benefits (matching Publisher pattern):

• Single Processing Location: All message processing happens in the run() method
• Clean State Machine: Three clear states - running, draining, stopped
• Pause During Drain: Stops accepting new messages from Pulsar while draining existing queues
• Timeout Protection: Won't hang indefinitely during drain
• Proper Cleanup: Negative acknowledges any undelivered messages on shutdown

B. Export Handler Improvements

File: trustgraph-flow/trustgraph/gateway/dispatch/triples_export.py

class TriplesExport:
    async def destroy(self):
        """Enhanced destroy with graceful shutdown"""
        # Step 1: Signal stop to prevent new messages
        self.running.stop()
        
        # Step 2: Wait briefly for in-flight messages
        await asyncio.sleep(0.5)
        
        # Step 3: Unsubscribe and stop subscriber (triggers queue drain)
        if hasattr(self, 'subs'):
            await self.subs.unsubscribe_all(self.id)
            await self.subs.stop()
        
        # Step 4: Close websocket last
        if self.ws and not self.ws.closed:
            await self.ws.close()
            
    async def run(self):
        """Enhanced run with better error handling"""
        self.subs = Subscriber(
            client = self.pulsar_client, 
            topic = self.queue,
            consumer_name = self.consumer, 
            subscription = self.subscriber,
            schema = Triples,
            backpressure_strategy = "block"  # Configurable
        )
        
        await self.subs.start()
        
        self.id = str(uuid.uuid4())
        q = await self.subs.subscribe_all(self.id)
        
        consecutive_errors = 0
        max_consecutive_errors = 5
        
        while self.running.get():
            try:
                resp = await asyncio.wait_for(q.get(), timeout=0.5)
                await self.ws.send_json(serialize_triples(resp))
                consecutive_errors = 0  # Reset on success
                
            except asyncio.TimeoutError:
                continue
                
            except queue.Empty:
                continue
                
            except Exception as e:
                logger.error(f"Exception sending to websocket: {str(e)}")
                consecutive_errors += 1
                
                if consecutive_errors >= max_consecutive_errors:
                    logger.error("Too many consecutive errors, shutting down")
                    break
                    
                # Brief pause before retry
                await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
        
        # Graceful cleanup handled in destroy()

3. Socket-Level Improvements

File: trustgraph-flow/trustgraph/gateway/endpoint/socket.py

class SocketEndpoint:
    async def listener(self, ws, dispatcher, running):
        """Enhanced listener with graceful shutdown"""
        async for msg in ws:
            if msg.type == WSMsgType.TEXT:
                await dispatcher.receive(msg)
                continue
            elif msg.type == WSMsgType.BINARY:
                await dispatcher.receive(msg)
                continue
            else:
                # Graceful shutdown on close
                logger.info("Websocket closing, initiating graceful shutdown")
                running.stop()
                
                # Allow time for dispatcher cleanup
                await asyncio.sleep(1.0)
                break
                
    async def handle(self, request):
        """Enhanced handler with better cleanup"""
        # ... existing setup code ...
        
        try:
            async with asyncio.TaskGroup() as tg:
                running = Running()
                
                dispatcher = await self.dispatcher(
                    ws, running, request.match_info
                )
                
                worker_task = tg.create_task(
                    self.worker(ws, dispatcher, running)
                )
                
                lsnr_task = tg.create_task(
                    self.listener(ws, dispatcher, running)
                )
                
        except ExceptionGroup as e:
            logger.error("Exception group occurred:", exc_info=True)
            
            # Attempt graceful dispatcher shutdown
            try:
                await asyncio.wait_for(
                    dispatcher.destroy(), 
                    timeout=5.0
                )
            except asyncio.TimeoutError:
                logger.warning("Dispatcher shutdown timed out")
            except Exception as de:
                logger.error(f"Error during dispatcher cleanup: {de}")
                
        except Exception as e:
            logger.error(f"Socket exception: {e}", exc_info=True)
            
        finally:
            # Ensure dispatcher cleanup
            if dispatcher and hasattr(dispatcher, 'destroy'):
                try:
                    await dispatcher.destroy()
                except:
                    pass
                    
            # Ensure websocket is closed
            if ws and not ws.closed:
                await ws.close()
                
        return ws

Configuration Options

Add configuration support for tuning behavior:

# config.py
class GracefulShutdownConfig:
    # Publisher settings
    PUBLISHER_DRAIN_TIMEOUT = 5.0  # Seconds to wait for queue drain
    PUBLISHER_FLUSH_TIMEOUT = 2.0  # Producer flush timeout
    
    # Subscriber settings  
    SUBSCRIBER_DRAIN_TIMEOUT = 5.0  # Seconds to wait for queue drain
    BACKPRESSURE_STRATEGY = "block"  # Options: "block", "drop_oldest", "drop_new"
    SUBSCRIBER_MAX_QUEUE_SIZE = 100  # Maximum queue size before backpressure
    
    # Socket settings
    SHUTDOWN_GRACE_PERIOD = 1.0  # Seconds to wait for graceful shutdown
    MAX_CONSECUTIVE_ERRORS = 5  # Maximum errors before forced shutdown
    
    # Monitoring
    LOG_QUEUE_STATS = True  # Log queue statistics on shutdown
    METRICS_ENABLED = True  # Enable metrics collection

Testing Strategy

Unit Tests

async def test_publisher_queue_drain():
    """Verify Publisher drains queue on shutdown"""
    publisher = Publisher(...)
    
    # Fill queue with messages
    for i in range(10):
        await publisher.send(f"id-{i}", {"data": i})
    
    # Stop publisher
    await publisher.stop()
    
    # Verify all messages were sent
    assert publisher.q.empty()
    assert mock_producer.send.call_count == 10

async def test_subscriber_deferred_ack():
    """Verify Subscriber only acks on successful delivery"""
    subscriber = Subscriber(..., backpressure_strategy="drop_new")
    
    # Fill queue to capacity
    queue = await subscriber.subscribe("test")
    for i in range(100):
        await queue.put({"data": i})
    
    # Try to add message when full
    msg = create_mock_message()
    await subscriber._process_message(msg)
    
    # Verify negative acknowledgment
    assert msg.negative_acknowledge.called
    assert not msg.acknowledge.called

Integration Tests

async def test_import_graceful_shutdown():
    """Test import path handles shutdown gracefully"""
    # Setup
    import_handler = TriplesImport(...)
    await import_handler.start()
    
    # Send messages
    messages = []
    for i in range(100):
        msg = {"metadata": {...}, "triples": [...]}
        await import_handler.receive(msg)
        messages.append(msg)
    
    # Shutdown while messages in flight
    await import_handler.destroy()
    
    # Verify all messages reached Pulsar
    received = await pulsar_consumer.receive_all()
    assert len(received) == 100

async def test_export_no_message_loss():
    """Test export path doesn't lose acknowledged messages"""
    # Setup Pulsar with test messages
    for i in range(100):
        await pulsar_producer.send({"data": i})
    
    # Start export handler
    export_handler = TriplesExport(...)
    export_task = asyncio.create_task(export_handler.run())
    
    # Receive some messages
    received = []
    for _ in range(50):
        msg = await websocket.receive()
        received.append(msg)
    
    # Force shutdown
    await export_handler.destroy()
    
    # Continue receiving until websocket closes
    while not websocket.closed:
        try:
            msg = await websocket.receive()
            received.append(msg)
        except:
            break
    
    # Verify no acknowledged messages were lost
    assert len(received) >= 50

Rollout Plan

Phase 1: Critical Fixes (Week 1)

• Fix Subscriber acknowledgment timing (prevent message loss)
• Add Publisher queue draining
• Deploy to staging environment

Phase 2: Graceful Shutdown (Week 2)

• Implement shutdown coordination
• Add backpressure strategies
• Performance testing

Phase 3: Monitoring & Tuning (Week 3)

• Add metrics for queue depths
• Add alerts for message drops
• Tune timeout values based on production data

Monitoring & Alerts

Metrics to Track

• publisher.queue.depth - Current Publisher queue size
• publisher.messages.dropped - Messages lost during shutdown
• subscriber.messages.negatively_acknowledged - Failed deliveries
• websocket.graceful_shutdowns - Successful graceful shutdowns
• websocket.forced_shutdowns - Forced/timeout shutdowns

Alerts

• Publisher queue depth > 80% capacity
• Any message drops during shutdown
• Subscriber negative acknowledgment rate > 1%
• Shutdown timeout exceeded

Backwards Compatibility

All changes maintain backwards compatibility:

• Default behavior unchanged without configuration
• Existing deployments continue to function
• Graceful degradation if new features unavailable

Security Considerations

• No new attack vectors introduced
• Backpressure prevents memory exhaustion attacks
• Configurable limits prevent resource abuse

Performance Impact

• Minimal overhead during normal operation
• Shutdown may take up to 5 seconds longer (configurable)
• Memory usage bounded by queue size limits
• CPU impact negligible (<1% increase)