ServiceStack.Discovery.Redis

A plugin for ServiceStack that provides transparent service discovery using via a simple Redis-backed datastore.

This enables your servicestack instances to call one another, without either knowing where the other is, based solely on a copy of the RequestDTO type. Your services will not need to take any dependencies on each other and as you deploy updates to your services they will automatically be registered and used without reconfiguing the existing services.

Additional basic hooks allow additional services to be built that can advertise there presence at the Host and Node level via a Meta dictonary which gets updated every node refresh period.

Quick Start

Setup AppHost

public override void Configure(Container container)
{
container.Register<IRedisClientsManager>(new RedisManagerPool("localhost:6379", new RedisPoolConfig { MaxPoolSize = 100, }));
SetConfig(new HostConfig
{
WebHostUrl = "http://localhost:9999/"
});
Plugins.Add(new RedisServiceDiscoveryFeature());
}

To call external services, you call the Gateway and let it handle the routing for you.

public class MyService : Service
{
public void Any(RequestDTO dto)
{
// If the gateway detects the type is locally served by the AppHost instance
// the call will be functionally equilevent to calling HostContext.AppHost.ExecuteService(req) directly
var internalCall = Gateway.Send(new InternalDTO { ... });
// The gateway will automatically route external requests to the correct service if the type is not local
// and it can resolve the `baseUrl` for the external service.
var externalCall = Gateway.Send(new ExternalDTO { ... });

try
{
var unregisteredExternalCall = Gateway.Send(new ExternalDTOWithNoActiveNodesOnline());
}
catch(RedisServiceDiscoveryGatewayException e)
{
// If a DTO type is not local or resolvable by the Redis discovery process
// a RedisServiceDiscoveryGatewayException will be thrown
}
}
}

####Customizing ServiceClient that Gateway service resolves Note: will throw RedisServiceDiscoveryGatewayException if no baseUrl can be resolved. Default behavior will try to do basic resolution of the client type (JSON/JSV/XML) and if HTTPS is required.

Plugins.Add(new RedisServiceDiscoveryFeature(){ 
    SetServiceGateway = (baseUrl, requestType) => 
       new JsonServiceClient(baseUrl) { UserAgent = "Custom User Agent" }
});

Filtering Services from Discovery

Services can be excluded from automatic registration via

• public HashSet<Type> ExcludedTypes
• Func<IEnumerable<Type>, IEnumerable<Type>> FilterTypes filter types directly, return the types you want to be discovered.
• Or attributing your DTOs (can be done at runtime, just make sure its prior to initalizing the plugin)

[Exclude(Feature.ServiceDiscovery)]
 public class RequestDTO : IReturn<string>

Forcing calls to resolve remote

• public HashSet<Type> NeverRunViaLocalGateway

Requirements / Notes

• Requires ServiceStack version 4.0.56 or higher
• A common Redis instance that all nodes in your discovery cluster register in the IOC (IRedisClientsManager) prior to loading plugin
• Set HostConfig.WebHostUrl to a connectable BaseUrl that will be used
• ServiceStack license is practically required. Free Quota limitation of 6000 Redis requests/hr could easily be exceeded, depending on the Node refresh period and number of exposed DTOs.
• DTOs are registered with their full type name (e.g. ServiceStack.Discovery.Redis.GetServiceRequestTypes). If you are importing your types via Add Service Reference and overriding your namespace you will run into issues.
• ResolveBaseUrl is using a very simple policy of taking the First() Node matching the requested type. Additional criteria could be used by looking up NodeId details. (e.g. sort by lowest average load,uptime, etc.)
• Sample services require a binding address as the first parameter (e.g. TestService1.exe http://*:7777/)
• Currently default behavior doesn't take into account if service requires HTTPS, JSV vs. XML, etc. SetServiceGateway(baseUrl, requestType) could be used to help support that functionality if needed.

Redis Key Structure

• {RedisPrefix}:hosts:lastseen - Hashset of HostName key UnixDateTime of last update value
• {RedisPrefix}:host:{HostName} - Key containing RedisHostMasterInfo
• {RedisPrefix}:node:{HostName}:{ServiceName}:{NodeId} - Key containing RedisDiscoveryNodeInfo
• {RedisPrefix}:req:{FullTypeName}:{NodeId} - Key containing baseUrl for FullType @ NodeId
• The default RedisPrefix = "rsd".
• Keys will all have TTL set to NodeTimeoutPeriod

####Process details On ServiceStack completing initialization ServiceStack.Discovery.Redis will start a periodic timer to refresh the node state every NodeRefreshPeriod. Each instance of AppHost will have a new Guid generated on startup as NodeId to ensure complete uniqueness.

On each timer event, the exposed request types are updated, as well as local node RedisDiscoveryNodeInfo. Custom actions can be triggered on refresh by registering in OnNodeRefreshActions

If the RedisDiscoveryRoles.CanHostMaster role is set (default, unless removed from Config.Roles list) it will check is a HostName key already exists. If it does, it will attempt to set a key for the HostName, effectively acting as a lock. If the key is obtained then that NodeId will gain the RedisDiscoveryRoles.HostMaster. If the Node is RedisDiscoveryRoles.HostMaster then it will update it's RedisHostMasterInfo record and call custom OnHostRefreshActions

#####Also see ServiceStack.SimpleCloudControl for additional plugins which can utilize the information ServiceStack.Discovery.Redis publishes to Redis for additional value (MQ Control, etc).