App 0 Manager - Client App {N} Messaging System using ZeroMQ

Description

Two separate applications are developed for this system, one which is the App 0 Manager and the other a Client App program

This is a use-case of how the ZeroMQ messaging library can be used to exchange information between two connected application(s). Three important specifications to be aware of in the design of this system are:

• "App 0 Manager”– should be able to send and receive messages with any client App (“Client App 1”, “Client App2”, ...., “Client App {N}” )
• “Client App 1” – can send and receive messages from “App 0 Manager”
• “Client App 2” – can send and receive messages from “App 0 Manager”
• “Client App {N}” – can send and receive messages from “App 0 Manager”

How to get started:

Files needed:

• AppManager.py

• ClientApp.py

  Note: Only one Client App program was created. This implies that multiple client applications could be run at the same time, thus creating a single aplication for the client was optimum for this messaging system.

This solution is Terminal-based and the following steps can be followed for execution.

Steps:

1. Have python3 installed on your machine

2. Create a virtual environment for the program to be executed

   1. Link to creating a virtual environment on Windows: CLICK HERE
   2. Link to creating a virtual environment on Linux: CLICK HERE

3. Activate your virtual environment and install the requirements for this project.

pip install -r requirements.txt
            OR
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

4. Open 3 terminals and change path to the location where both AppManager.py and ClientApp.py are installed. Type each of the following commands below into the terminals to run the applications

python AppManager.py <-p1> <port_number> <-p2> <port_number> on the 1st terminal
python ClientApp.py <-p1> <port_number> <-p2> <port_number> on the 2nd terminal
python ClientApp.py <-p1> <port_number> <-p2> <port_number> on the 3rd terminal

OR

python AppManager.py <--PORT1> <port_number> <--PORT2> <port_number> on the 1st terminal
python ClientApp.py <--PORT1> <port_number> <--PORT2> <port_number> on the 2nd terminal
python ClientApp.py <--PORT1> <port_number> <--PORT2> <port_number> on the 3rd terminal

Current-Features

• “Client App {N}” is able to send and receive messages asynchronously (uses DEALER socket)
• “App 0 Manager” is able to send and receive messages asynchronously (uses DEALER socket)
• “App 0 Manager” is able to receive messages from any clients prior to the establiishment of connections
• Any “Client App {N}” can send a message or messages to the “App 0 Manager” without an initial message from the *“App 0 Manager”
• The “App 0 Manager” can send out a message or messages without receiving any initial message from any “Client App {N}” connected to it
• When the “App 0 Manager” sends a message, every Client connected to it receives the same message at the exact same time. In other words, the App 0 Manager will be broadcasting its messages to the Client Apps connected to it (Pub-Sub data distribution pattern).
• Allows for users to specify the port #s they wish to run both applications on their machine. If port #s are not specified for either the App Manager or the Client App, the system defaults to the following; {App 0 Manager | Port: 9999} and {Client App | Port: 8888}

Upcomming-Features

• UI/UX for exchanging messages instead of using a Linux or Windows terminal
• Database integration for saving and reloading of historical conversations
• Database: TBD
• Front-End Technologies: TBD
• Back-End Technologies: TBD

Requirements for this projects

• Programming Language: python3 (any version of 3.x.x)
• Libraries used: pyzmq, threading, sys, and time

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

Next Update

• Integration of a Front-End UI/UX with a Back-End capabilities => Data flowing from the browser to the the back end and to another brower. Thus, similating the back-and-forth messaging between an App Manager and some Client App {N}

  def muiz():
      print("muiz wearing glasses")