mcrouter

Directory Overview: AREG Multicast Router Application (mcrouter)

This directory contains the source code for the Multicast Router (mcrouter), a core application that facilitates inter-process communication (IPC) for creating connected networks of Things at the network edge. Applications using the AREG framework require mcrouter to send and receive messages, making it an essential component of the AREG SDK. The mcrouter can operate as a console application or an OS-managed service, depending on the configuration.

Directory Contents

• app Contains the source code to initialize and start the mcrouter application. On Windows and Linux, it can run as a console application or system service.

• service Implements the communication services for sending and receiving messages between connected applications.

• resource Contains resource files specific to the mcrouter application.

Platform Support and Build Configurations

• Linux: The mcrouter runs as a console or OS-managed service application, and can be built with or without the ncurses library:

  • To enable ncurses features, compile the AREG extended static library by defining setting option -DAREG_EXTENDED:BOOL=ON.
  • To disable ncurses, omit AREG_EXTENDED option or set it to OFF, using only the ANSI C API.

• Windows: The mcrouter operates as a console application or OS-managed service, and can be built with or without the Win32 API for extended feature:

  • To enable Win32 API extended features, define AREG_EXTENDED=1.
  • To use only the ANSI C API, omit AREG_EXTENDED or set it to 0.

Note

It does not make sense to enable extended features if application runs as an OS-managed service, because extended features manage cursor position on console, which is not accessible when application runs as a service. To save resources and linking time, disable extended features in the build by setting option -DAREG_EXTENDED:BOOL=OFF

While the implementation varies between Win32 and POSIX systems, all components maintain consistent behavior across platforms. Header files in private subdirectories are for internal use only and should not be included directly in external projects.

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Running Log Collector as a Service

Linux:

To configure and run the mcrouter application as a Linux-managed service, follow these steps:

1. Copy Service Configuration File:

   • Copy the mcrouter.service file to the /etc/systemd/system/ directory.

2. Copy the Executable:

   • Copy the built mcrouter.elf executable to the desired location, such as /usr/local/bin.

3. Ensure Library Access (if applicable):

   • If the AREG Framework was built as a shared library, ensure that mcrouter has access to the libareg.so library (e.g., located in /usr/lib).

4. Edit the Service Configuration:

   • Open the mcrouter.service file and verify that the ExecStart path points to the correct location of the mcrouter.elf executable. For example:

     ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/mcrouter.elf --service
     

   • Ensure the ExecStart line includes the --service (or -s) as a command line option.

5. Enable and Start the Service:

   • Enable the service to start automatically at boot:

     sudo systemctl enable mcrouter.service

   • Start the service

     sudo systemctl start mcrouter.service

6. Stop or Disable the Service:

   • To stop the service:

     sudo systemctl stop mcrouter.service

   • To disable the service from starting at boot:

     sudo systemctl disable mcrouter.service

Windows:

To configure and run the mcrouter application as a Windows-managed service, follow these steps:

1. Copy the Binaries:

   • Copy the mcrouter.exe and areg.dll binaries to the desired location.

2. Install the Service:

   • Open PowerShell as the Administrator.
   • Register the executable as a service by running:

     .\mcrouter.exe --install

3. Start the Service:

   • Open the Services application (or run services.msc in the Command Prompt).
   • Locate the service named AREG Log Collector Service.
   • Start the service by right-clicking it and selecting Start.

4. Stop and Uninstall the Service:

   • Stop the service using the Services application or the services.msc command.
   • Uninstall the service by running the following command in PowerShell:

     .\mcrouter.exe --uninstall

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Usage of AREG Multicast Router (mcrouter)

The mcrouter provides flexible command-line and console commands for managing communication and connected instances.

Command-Line Options

These options configure the startup mode of mcrouter:

• --console or -c: Runs mcrouter as a console application (default mode). Example: mcrouter --console

• --install or -i: Installs mcrouter as a system service (Windows only). Example: mcrouter --install

• --load or -l: Loads configuration from the specified initialization file. Example: mcrouter --load=/path/to/config.file

• --service or -s: Runs mcrouter as a system service. Example: mcrouter --service

• --uninstall or -u: Uninstalls mcrouter as a service (Windows only). Example: mcrouter --uninstall

Console Commands

When running as a console application, the following commands are available:

• --help or -h: Displays a help message summarizing available commands.

• --instances or -n: Displays a list of connected instances. Example: mcrouter --instances

• --pause or -p: Pauses communication connections. Example: mcrouter --pause

• --quit or -q: Stops the router and exits the application. Example: mcrouter --quit

• --restart or -r: Restarts communication connections. Example: mcrouter --restart

• --silent or -t: Stops displaying data rates in the console. Example: mcrouter --silent

• --verbose or -v: Displays data rates in the console. Example: mcrouter --verbose

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