Mainly cosmetics. I stop for now working on doc.

[simgrid.git] / doc / user_guide / doxygen / use.doc

/*! \page use Using SimGrid

SimGrid comes with many examples provided in the examples/ directory. Those examples are described in section \ref MSG_examples . Those examples are commented and should be easy to understand. for a first step into SimGird we also provide some more detailed examples in the sections below.

\section using_msg Using MSG

Here are some examples on how to use MSG, the most used API.


MSG comes with an extensive set of examples. It is sometimes difficult
to find the one you need. This list aims at helping you finding the
example from which you can learn what you want to.

\subsection MSG_ex_basics Basic examples and features

\subsubsection MSG_ex_asynchronous_communications Asynchronous communications


Simulation of asynchronous communications between a sender and a receiver using a realistic platform and
an external description of the deployment.

 - \ref MSG_ext_icomms_code
   - \ref MSG_ext_icomms_preliminary
   - \ref MSG_ext_icomms_Sender
   - \ref MSG_ext_icomms_Receiver
   - \ref MSG_ext_icomms_core
   - \ref MSG_ext_icomms_Main
 - \ref MSG_ext_icomms_fct_Waitall
 - \ref MSG_ext_icomms_fct_Waitany

<hr>

\dontinclude msg/icomms/peer.c

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_code Code of the application

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_preliminary Preliminary declarations
\skip include
\until Sender function

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_Sender Sender function

The sender send to a receiver an asynchronous message with the function "MSG_task_isend()". Cause this function is non-blocking
we have to make "MSG_comm_test()" to know   if the communication is finished for finally destroy it with function "MSG_comm_destroy()".
It also available to "make MSG_comm_wait()" which make both of them.

  C style arguments (argc/argv) are interpreted as:
   - the number of tasks to distribute
   - the computation size of each task
   - the size of the files associated to each task
   - a list of host that will accept those tasks.
   - the time to sleep at the beginning of the function
   - This time defined the process sleep time
                        if time = 0 use of MSG_comm_wait()
                        if time > 0 use of MSG_comm_test()


\until Receiver function

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_Receiver Receiver function

This function executes tasks when it receives them. As the receiving is asynchronous we have to test the communication to know
if it is completed or not with "MSG_comm_test()" or wait for the completion "MSG_comm_wait()".

  C style arguments (argc/argv) are interpreted as:
   - the id to use for received the communication.
   - the time to sleep at the beginning of the function
   - This time defined the process sleep time
                        if time = 0 use of MSG_comm_wait()
                        if time > 0 use of MSG_comm_test()

\until Test function

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_core Simulation core

  This function is the core of the simulation and is divided only into 3 parts
  thanks to MSG_create_environment() and MSG_launch_application().
     -# Simulation settings : MSG_create_environment() creates a realistic
        environment
     -# Application deployment : create the processes on the right locations with
        MSG_launch_application()
     -# The simulation is run with #MSG_main()

  Its arguments are:
        - <i>platform_file</i>: the name of a file containing an valid surfxml platform description.
        - <i>application_file</i>: the name of a file containing a valid surfxml application description

\until Main function

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_Main Main function

This initializes MSG, runs a simulation, and free all data-structures created by MSG.

\until end_of_main

\dontinclude msg/icomms/peer2.c

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_fct_Waitall Waitall function for sender

The use of this function permit to send all messages and wait for the completion of all in one time.

\skipline Sender function
\until end_of_sender

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_fct_Waitany Waitany function

The MSG_comm_waitany() function return the place of the first message send or receive from a xbt_dynar_t table.

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_fct_Waitany_sender From a sender
We can use this function to wait all sent messages.
\dontinclude msg/icomms/peer3.c
\skipline Sender function
\until end_of_sender

\paragraph MSG_ext_icomms_fct_Waitany_receiver From a receiver
We can also wait for the arrival of all messages.
\dontinclude msg/icomms/peer3.c
\skipline Receiver function
\until end_of_receiver

\subsubsection MSG_ex_master_slave Basic Master/Slaves

Simulation of a master-slave application using a realistic platform
and an external description of the deployment.

\paragraph MSG_ex_ms_TOC Table of contents:

   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_preliminary
   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_master
   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_slave
   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_forwarder
   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_core
   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_main
   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_helping
   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_application
   - \ref MSG_ext_ms_platform

<hr>

\dontinclude msg/masterslave/masterslave_forwarder.c


\paragraph MSG_ext_ms_preliminary Preliminary declarations

\skip include
\until printf
\until }

\paragraph MSG_ext_ms_master Master code

This function has to be assigned to a m_process_t that will behave as
the master. It should not be called directly but either given as a
parameter to #MSG_process_create() or registered as a public function
through #MSG_function_register() and then automatically assigned to a
process through #MSG_launch_application().

C style arguments (argc/argv) are interpreted as:
   - the number of tasks to distribute
   - the computation size of each task
   - the size of the files associated to each task
   - a list of host that will accept those tasks.

Tasks are dumbly sent in a round-robin style.

\until end_of_master

\paragraph MSG_ext_ms_slave Slave code

This function has to be assigned to a #msg_process_t that has to behave
as a slave. Just like the master fuction (described in \ref
MSG_ext_ms_master), it should not be called directly.

This function keeps waiting for tasks and executes them as it receives them.

\until end_of_slave

\paragraph MSG_ext_ms_forwarder Forwarder code

This function has to be assigned to a #msg_process_t that has to behave
as a forwarder. Just like the master function (described in \ref
MSG_ext_ms_master), it should not be called directly.

C style arguments (argc/argv) are interpreted as a list of host that
will accept those tasks.

This function keeps waiting for tasks and dispathes them to its slaves.

\until end_of_forwarder

\paragraph MSG_ext_ms_core Simulation core

This function is the core of the simulation and is divided only into 3 parts
thanks to MSG_create_environment() and MSG_launch_application().
   -# Simulation settings : MSG_create_environment() creates a realistic
      environment
   -# Application deployment : create the processes on the right locations with
      MSG_launch_application()
   -# The simulation is run with #MSG_main()

Its arguments are:
        - <i>platform_file</i>: the name of a file containing an valid surfxml platform description.
        - <i>application_file</i>: the name of a file containing a valid surfxml application description

\until end_of_test_all

\paragraph MSG_ext_ms_main Main() function

This initializes MSG, runs a simulation, and free all data-structures created by MSG.

\until end_of_main

\subsubsection MSG_ext_ms_helping Helping files

\paragraph MSG_ext_ms_application Example of application file

\include msg/masterslave/deployment_masterslave.xml

\paragraph MSG_ext_ms_platform Example of platform file

\include msg/small_platform.xml

\section using_gras Using GRAS

Here are some examples on how to use GRAS.


    There is for now rather few examples of GRAS, but it's better than
    nothing, isn't it?

       - \ref GRAS_ex_ping
       - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc
       - \ref GRAS_ex_token
       - \ref GRAS_ex_timer


\subsection GRAS_ex_ping Ping-Pong

    This example implements the very classical ping-pong in GRAS. It
    involves a client (initiating the ping-pong) and a server (answering to
    client's requests).

    It works the following way:
     - Both the client and the server register all needed messages
     - The server registers a callback to the ping message, which sends pong
       to the expeditor
     - The client sends the ping message to the server, and waits for the
       pong message as an answer.

    This example resides in the <b>examples/gras/ping/ping.c</b> file. Yes, both
    the code of the client and of the server is placed in the same file. 

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_ping_toc Table of contents of the ping example
      - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_common
        - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_initial
        - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_register
      - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_server
        - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_serdata
        - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_sercb
        - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_sermain
      - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_client
        - \ref GRAS_ex_ping_climain

    <hr>

    \dontinclude gras/ping/ping_common.c

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_ping_common 1) Common code to the client and the server

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_ping_initial 1.a) Initial settings

    Let's first load the module header and declare a logging category (see
    \ref XBT_log for more info on logging).

    \skip include
    \until XBT_LOG

    The module header <tt>ping.h</tt> reads:

    \dontinclude gras/ping/ping.h
    \skip include
    \until argv
    \until argv

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_ping_register 1.b) Register the messages

    This function, called by both the client and the server is in charge of
    declaring the existing messages to GRAS. Since the payload does not
    involve any newly created types but only int, this is quite easy.
    (to exchange more complicated types, see \ref GRAS_dd or
    \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc for an example).

    \dontinclude gras/ping/ping_common.c
    \skip register_messages
    \until }

    [Back to \ref GRAS_ex_ping_toc]

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_ping_server 2) Server's code

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_ping_serdata 2.a) The server's globals

    In order to ensure the communication between the "main" and the callback
    of the server, we need to declare some globals. We have to put them in a
    struct definition so that they can be handled properly in GRAS.

    \dontinclude gras/ping/ping_server.c
    \skip typedef struct
    \until }

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_ping_sercb 2.b) The callback to the ping message

    Here is the callback run when the server receives any ping message (this
    will be registered later by the server).

    \skip server_cb_ping_handler
    \until end_of_server_cb_ping_handler

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_ping_sermain 2.c) The "main" of the server

    This is the "main" of the server. You must not write any main()
    function yourself. Instead, you just have to write a regular function
    like this one which will act as a main.

    \skip server
    \until end_of_server

    [Back to \ref GRAS_ex_ping_toc]

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_ping_client 3) Client's code

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_ping_climain 3.a) Client's "main" function

    This function is quite straightforward, and the inlined comments should
    be enough to understand it.

    \dontinclude gras/ping/ping_client.c
    \skip client
    \until end_of_client

    [Back to \ref GRAS_ex_ping_toc]

\subsection GRAS_ex_token Token Ring example

   This example implements the token ring algorithm. It involves several
   nodes arranged in a ring (each of them have a left and a right neighbour)
   and exchanging a "token". This algorithm is one of the solution to ensure
   the mutual exclusion between distributed processes. There is only one
   token at any time, so the process in its possession is ensured to be the
   only one having it. So, if there is an action you want all processes to
   do alternativly, but you cannot afford to have two processes doing it at
   the same time, let the process having the token doing it.

   Actually, there is a lot of different token ring algorithms in the
   litterature, so this example implements one of them: the simplest one.
   The ring is static (no new node can join it, and you'll get trouble if
   one node dies or leaves), and nothing is done for the case in which the
   token is lost.

   - \ref GRAS_ex_stoken_deploy
   - \ref GRAS_ex_stoken_global
   - \ref GRAS_ex_stoken_callback
   - \ref GRAS_ex_stoken_main

   \subsection GRAS_ex_stoken_deploy 1) Deployment file

   Here is the deployment file:
   \include examples/gras/mutual_exclusion/simple_token/simple_token.xml

   The neighbour of each node is given at startup as command line argument.
   Moreover, one of the nodes is instructed by a specific argument (the one
   on Tremblay here) to create the token at the begining of the algorithm.

   \subsection GRAS_ex_stoken_global 2) Global definition

   The token is incarned by a specific message, which circulates from node
   to node (the payload is an integer incremented at each hop). So, the most
   important part of the code is the message callback, which forwards the
   message to the next node. That is why we have to store all variable in a
   global, as explained in the \ref GRAS_globals section.

   \dontinclude examples/gras/mutual_exclusion/simple_token/simple_token.c
   \skip typedef
   \until }

   \subsection GRAS_ex_stoken_callback 3) The callback

   Even if this is the core of this algorithm, this function is quite
   straightforward.

   \skip node_cb_stoken_handler
   \until end_of_node_cb_stoken_handler

   \subsection GRAS_ex_stoken_main 4) The main function

   This function is splited in two parts: The first one performs all the
   needed initialisations (points 1-7) while the end (point 8. below) calls
   gras_msg_handle() as long as the planned amount of ring loops are not
   performed.

   \skip node
   \until end_of_node

\subsection GRAS_ex_mmrpc A simple RPC for matrix multiplication

    This example implements a remote matrix multiplication. It involves a client
    (creating the matrices and sending the multiplications requests) and a server
    (computing the multiplication on client's behalf).

    This example also constitutes a more advanced example of data description
    mechanisms, since the message payload type is a bit more complicated than in
    other examples such as the ping one (\ref GRAS_ex_ping).

    It works the following way (not very different from the ping example):
     - Both the client and the server register all needed messages and datatypes
     - The server registers a callback to the "request" message, which computes
       what needs to be and returns the result to the expeditor.
     - The client creates two matrices, ask for their multiplication and check
       the server's answer.

    This example resides in the <b>examples/gras/mmrpc/mmrpc.c</b> file. 

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_mmrpc_toc Table of contents of the mmrpc example
      - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_common
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_header
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_dataregister
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_logdef
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_msgregister
      - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_server
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_serinc
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_sercb
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_sermain
      - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_client
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_cliinc
        - \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_climain

    <hr>


    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_mmrpc_common 1) Common code to the client and the server (mmrpc_common.c and mmrpc.h)


    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_header 1.a) Module header (mmrpc.h)

    This loads the gras header and declare the function's prototypes as well
    as the matrix size.

    \dontinclude gras/mmrpc/mmrpc.h
    \skip include
    \until argv
    \until argv

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_dataregister 1.b) Register the data types (mmrpc.h)

    The messages involved in a matrix of double. This type is automatically
    known by the GRAS mecanism, using the gras_datadesc_matrix() function of the
    xbt/matrix module.

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_logdef 1.c) Logging category definition (mmrpc_common.c)

    Let's first load the module header and declare a logging category (see
    \ref XBT_log for more info on logging). This logging category does live
    in this file (ie the required symbols are defined here and declared as
    "extern" in any other file using them). That is why we use
    \ref XBT_LOG_NEW_DEFAULT_CATEGORY here and
    \ref XBT_LOG_EXTERNAL_DEFAULT_CATEGORY in mmrpc_client.c and mmrpc_server.c.

    \dontinclude gras/mmrpc/mmrpc_common.c
    \skip include
    \until XBT_LOG

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_msgregister 1.d) Register the messages (mmrpc_common.c)

    This function, called by both the client and the server is in charge of
    declaring the existing messages to GRAS.

    The datatype description builded that way can then be used to build an array datatype or
    to declare messages.

    \skip register_messages
    \until }

    [Back to \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_toc]

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_mmrpc_server 2) Server's code (mmrpc_server.c)

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_serinc 2.a) Server intial settings

    All module symbols live in the mmrpc_common.c file. We thus have to
    define \ref XBT_DEFINE_TYPE_EXTERN to the preprocessor so that the
    \ref XBT_DEFINE_TYPE symbols don't get included here. Likewise, we use
    \ref XBT_LOG_EXTERNAL_DEFAULT_CATEGORY to get the log category in here.

    \dontinclude gras/mmrpc/mmrpc_server.c
    \skip define
    \until XBT_LOG

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_sercb 2.b) The callback to the mmrpc message

    Here is the callback run when the server receives any mmrpc message (this
    will be registered later by the server). Note the way we get the message
    payload. In the ping example, there was one additional level of pointer
    indirection (see \ref GRAS_ex_ping_sercb). This is because the payload is
    an array here (ie a pointer) whereas it is a scalar in the ping example.

    \skip server_cb_request_handler
    \until end_of_server_cb_request_handler

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_sermain 2.c) The "main" of the server

    This is the "main" of the server. You must not write any main()
    function yourself. Instead, you just have to write a regular function
    like this one which will act as a main.

    \skip server
    \until end_of_server

    [Back to \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_toc]

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_mmrpc_client 3) Client's code (mmrpc_client.c)

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_cliinc 2.a) Server intial settings

    As for the server, some extra love is needed to make sure that automatic
    datatype parsing and log categories do work even if we are using several
    files.

    \dontinclude gras/mmrpc/mmrpc_client.c
    \skip define
    \until XBT_LOG

    \paragraph GRAS_ex_mmrpc_climain 3.b) Client's "main" function

    This function is quite straightforward, and the inlined comments should
    be enough to understand it.

    \dontinclude gras/mmrpc/mmrpc_client.c
    \skip argv
    \until end_of_client

    [Back to \ref GRAS_ex_mmrpc_toc]

\subsection GRAS_ex_timer Some timer games

    This example fools around with the GRAS timers (\ref GRAS_timer). It is
    mainly a regression test, since it uses almost all timer features.

    The main program registers a repetititive task and a delayed one, and
    then loops until the <tt>still_to_do</tt> variables of its globals reach
    0. The delayed task set it to 5, and the repetititive one decrease it
    each time. Here is an example of output:
\verbatim Initialize GRAS
 Initialize XBT
 [1108335471] Programming the repetitive_action with a frequency of 1.000000 sec
 [1108335471] Programming the delayed_action for after 2.000000 sec
 [1108335471] Have a rest
 [1108335472] Canceling the delayed_action.
 [1108335472] Re-programming the delayed_action for after 2.000000 sec
 [1108335472] Repetitive_action has nothing to do yet
 [1108335473] Repetitive_action has nothing to do yet
 [1108335473] delayed_action setting globals->still_to_do to 5
 [1108335474] repetitive_action decrementing globals->still_to_do. New value: 4
 [1108335475] repetitive_action decrementing globals->still_to_do. New value: 3
 [1108335476] repetitive_action decrementing globals->still_to_do. New value: 2
 [1108335477] repetitive_action decrementing globals->still_to_do. New value: 1
 [1108335478] repetitive_action decrementing globals->still_to_do. New value: 0
 Exiting GRAS\endverbatim

    Source code:
     - \ref GRAS_ex_timer_decl
     - \ref GRAS_ex_timer_delay
     - \ref GRAS_ex_timer_repeat
     - \ref GRAS_ex_timer_main

    \dontinclude timer.c

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_timer_decl   1. Declarations and headers
    \skip include
    \until my_globals

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_timer_delay  2. Source code of the delayed action
    \skip repetitive_action
    \until end_of_repetitive_action

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_timer_repeat 3. Source code of the repetitive action
    \skip delayed_action
    \until end_of_delayed_action

    \subsubsection GRAS_ex_timer_main   4. Source code of main function
    \skip client
    \until end_of_client


*/