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@ -423,67 +423,97 @@ overview which part succeeded and which failed (optionally with reason like
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### Structure of the project
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### Structure of the project
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The ReCodEx project is divided into two logical parts – the *Backend*
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There are numerous ways how to divide some sort of system into separated
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and the *Frontend* – which interact which each other and which cover the
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services, from one single component to many and many single-purpose components.
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whole area of code examination. Both of these logical parts are
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Having only one big service is not feasible, not scalable enough and mainly it
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independent of each other in the sense of being installed on separate
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would be one big blob of code which somehow works and is very complex, so this
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machines at different locations and that one of the parts can be
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is not the way. The quite opposite, having a lot of single-purpose components is
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replaced with a different implementation and as long as the communication
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also somehow impractical. It is scalable by default and all services would have
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protocols are preserved, the system will continue working as expected.
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quite simple code but on the other hand communication requirements for such
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solution would be insane. So there has to be chosen approach which is somehow in
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*Backend* is the part which is responsible solely for the process of
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the middle, that means services have to communicate in manner which will not
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evaluation a solution of an exercise. Each evaluation of a solution is
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bring network down, code basis should be reasonable and the whole system has to
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referred to as a *job*. For each job, the system expects a configuration
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be scalable enough. With this being said there can be discussion over particular
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document of the job, supplementary files for the exercise (e.g., test
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division for ReCodEx system.
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inputs, expected outputs, predefined header files), and the solution of
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the exercise (typically source codes created by a student). There might
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The ReCodEx project is divided into two logical parts – the *backend* and the
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be some specific requirements for the job, such as a specific runtime
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*frontend* – which interact which each other and which cover the whole area of
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environment, specific version of a compiler or the job must be evaluated
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code examination. Both of these logical parts are independent of each other in
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on a processor with a specific number of cores. The backend
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the sense of being installed on separate machines at different locations and
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infrastructure decides whether it will accept a job or decline it based
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that one of the parts can be replaced with a different implementation and as
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on the specified requirements. In case it accepts the job, it will be
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long as the communication protocols are preserved, the system will continue
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placed in a queue and it will be processed as soon as possible. The backend
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working as expected.
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publishes the progress of processing of the queued jobs and the results
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of the evaluations can be queried after the job processing is finished.
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*Backend* is the part which is responsible solely for the process of evaluation
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The backend produces a log of the evaluation and scores the solution
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a solution of an exercise. Each evaluation of a solution is referred to as a
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based on the job configuration document.
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*job*. For each job, the system expects a configuration document of the job,
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supplementary files for the exercise (e.g., test inputs, expected outputs,
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*Frontend* on the other hand is responsible for the communication with
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predefined header files), and the solution of the exercise (typically source
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the users and provides them a convenient access to the Backend
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codes created by a student). There might be some specific requirements for the
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infrastructure. The Frontend manages user accounts and gathers them into
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job, such as a specific runtime environment, specific version of a compiler or
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units called groups. There is a database of exercises which can be
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the job must be evaluated on a processor with a specific number of cores. The
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assigned to the groups and the users of these groups can submit their
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backend infrastructure decides whether it will accept a job or decline it based
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solutions for these assignments. The Frontend will initiate evaluation
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on the specified requirements. In case it accepts the job, it will be placed in
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of these solutions by the Backend and it will store the results
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a queue and it will be processed as soon as possible. The backend publishes the
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afterwards. The results will be visible to authorized users and the
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progress of processing of the queued jobs and the results of the evaluations can
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results will be awarded with points according to the score given by the
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be queried after the job processing is finished. The backend produces a log of
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Backend in the evaluation process. The supervisors of the groups can
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the evaluation and scores the solution based on the job configuration document.
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edit the parameters of the assignments, review the solutions and the
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evaluations in detail and award the solutions with bonus points (both
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From the scalable point of view there are two necessary components, the one
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positive and negative) and discuss about the solution with the author of
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which will execute jobs and component which will distribute jobs to the
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the solution. Some of the users can be entitled to create new exercises
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instances of the first one. This ensures scalability in manner of parallel
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and extend the database of exercises which can be assigned to the groups
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execution of numerous jobs which is exactly what is needed. Implementation of
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later on.
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these services are called **broker** and **worker**, first one handles
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distribution, latter execution. These components should be enough to fulfil all
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The Frontend developed as part of this project was created with the
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above said, but for the sake of simplicity and better communication gateways
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needs of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the Charles
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with frontend two other components were added, **fileserver** and **monitor**.
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university in Prague in mind. The users are the students and their
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Fileserver is simple component whose purpose is to store files which are
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teachers, groups correspond to the different courses, the teachers are
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exchanged between frontend and backend. Monitor is also quite simple service
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the supervisors of these groups. We believe that this model is
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which is able to serve job progress state from worker to web application. These
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applicable to the needs of other universities, schools, and IT
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two additional services are on the edge of frontend and backend (like gateways)
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companies, which can use the same system for their needs. It is also
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but logically they are more connected with backend, so it is considered they
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possible to develop their own frontend with their own user management
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belong there.
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system for their specific needs and use the possibilities of the Backend
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without any changes, as was mentioned in the previous paragraphs.
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*Frontend* on the other hand is responsible for the communication with the users
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and provides them a convenient access to the backend infrastructure. The
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In the latter parts of the documentation, both of the Backend and
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frontend manages user accounts and gathers them into units called groups. There
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Frontend parts will be introduced separately and covered in more detail.
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is a database of exercises which can be assigned to the groups and the users of
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The communication protocol between these two logical parts will be
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these groups can submit their solutions for these assignments. The frontend will
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described as well.
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initiate evaluation of these solutions by the backend and it will store the
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results afterwards. The results will be visible to authorized users and the
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@todo: move "General backend implementation" here
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results will be awarded with points according to the score given by the Backend
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in the evaluation process. The supervisors of the groups can edit the parameters
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@todo: move "General frontend implementation" here
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of the assignments, review the solutions and the evaluations in detail and award
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the solutions with bonus points (both positive and negative) and discuss about
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the solution with the author of the solution. Some of the users can be entitled
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to create new exercises and extend the database of exercises which can be
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assigned to the groups later on.
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There are two main purposes of frontend -- holding the state of whole system
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(database of users, exercises, solutions, points, etc.) and presenting the state
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to users through some kind of an user interface (e.g., a web application, mobile
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application, or a command-line tool). According to contemporary trends in
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development of frontend parts of applications, we decided to split the frontend
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in two logical parts -- a server side and a client side. The server side is
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responsible for managing the state and the client side gives instructions to the
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server side based on the inputs from the user. This decoupling gives us the
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ability to create multiple client side tools which may address different needs
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of the users.
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The frontend developed as part of this project is a web application created with
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the needs of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the Charles university in
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|
Prague in mind. The users are the students and their teachers, groups
|
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|
|
|
|
|
correspond to the different courses, the teachers are the supervisors of these
|
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|
|
|
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|
groups. We believe that this model is applicable to the needs of other
|
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|
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|
|
|
|
universities, schools, and IT companies, which can use the same system for their
|
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|
needs. It is also possible to develop their own frontend with their own user
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|
management system for their specific needs and use the possibilities of the
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Backend without any changes, as was mentioned in the previous paragraphs.
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In the latter parts of the documentation, both of the backend and frontend parts
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|
will be introduced separately and covered in more detail. The communication
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protocol between these two logical parts will be described as well.
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### Evaluation unit executed on backend
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### Evaluation unit executed on backend
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@ -574,34 +604,7 @@ This discussion is a never ending story which is done through the whole
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development process. Some of the most important implementation problems or
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development process. Some of the most important implementation problems or
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interesting observations will be discussed in this chapter.
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interesting observations will be discussed in this chapter.
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### General backend implementation
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### Backend communication
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There are numerous ways how to divide some sort of system into separated
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
services, from one single component to many and many single-purpose components.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Having only one big service is not feasible, not scalable enough and mainly it
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
would be one big blob of code which somehow works and is very complex, so this
|
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|
|
is not the way. The quite opposite, having a lot of single-purpose components is
|
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|
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|
also somehow impractical. It is scalable by default and all services would have
|
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|
|
quite simple code but on the other hand communication requirements for such
|
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|
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|
|
solution would be insane. So there has to be chosen approach which is somehow in
|
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|
|
the middle, that means services have to communicate in manner which will not
|
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|
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|
|
|
|
bring network down, code basis should be reasonable and the whole system has to
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
be scalable enough. With this being said there can be discussion over particular
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
division for ReCodEx system.
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From the scalable point of view there are two necessary components, the one
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
which will execute jobs and component which will distribute jobs to the
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
instances of the first one. This ensures scalability in manner of parallel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
execution of numerous jobs which is exactly what is needed. Implementation of
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
these services are called 'broker' and 'worker', first one handles distribution,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
latter execution. These components should be enough to fulfil all above said,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
but for the sake of simplicity and better communication gateways with frontend
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
two other components were added, 'fileserver' and 'monitor'. Fileserver is
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
simple component whose purpose is to store files which are exchanged between
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
frontend and backend. Monitor is also quite simple service which is able to
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
serve job progress state from worker to web application. These two additional
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
services are on the edge of frontend and backend (like gateways) but logically
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
they are more connected with backend, so it is considered they belong there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
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|
@todo: what type of communication within backend could be used, mention some frameworks, queue managers, protocols, which was considered
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@todo: what type of communication within backend could be used, mention some frameworks, queue managers, protocols, which was considered
|
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@ -760,21 +763,7 @@ reception of last message. The client gets all already received messages at time
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of connection with no message loss.
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of connection with no message loss.
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### General frontend implementation
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### Frontend communication
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The frontend is the part of the whole system, which is directly available to the user.
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It must hold the whole state of the system - the login credentials, users' data, hierarchy
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of groups, available exercises, exercises assignments, users' solutions, and much more.
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User must be able to access and modify this state through some kind of an user interface
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(e.g., a web application, mobile application, or a command-line tool). We want to implement
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a web application as part of this project, but we want to make it possible for other
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developers to contribute to the platform and to create their specific clients for
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their specific needs.
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We decided to split the frontend in two logical parts: a server side and a client side.
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
The server side is responsible for managing the state and the client side gives instructions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
to the server side based on the inputs from the user. This decoupling gives us the ability
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
to create multiple client side tools which may address different needs of the users.
|
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The first thing we need to address is the communication protocol of this client-server
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The first thing we need to address is the communication protocol of this client-server
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architecture. There are several options:
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architecture. There are several options:
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@ -807,7 +796,7 @@ used, there are many tools available for development and testing, and it is unde
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it should be easy for a new developer with some experience in client-side applications to get to know with
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it should be easy for a new developer with some experience in client-side applications to get to know with
|
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the ReCodEx API and develop a client application.
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|
the ReCodEx API and develop a client application.
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#### API server
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### API server
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The API server must handle HTTP requests and manage the state of the application in some kind of a database.
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The API server must handle HTTP requests and manage the state of the application in some kind of a database.
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It must also be able to communicate with the backend over ZeroMQ.
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It must also be able to communicate with the backend over ZeroMQ.
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@ -858,7 +847,7 @@ Nette framework which makes usage of Doctrine 2 very straighforward.
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@todo: on demand loading of students submission, in-time loading of every other submission, why
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@todo: on demand loading of students submission, in-time loading of every other submission, why
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#### Web-app
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### Web-app
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@todo: what technologies can be used on client frontend side, why react was used
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@todo: what technologies can be used on client frontend side, why react was used
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