Client and server for task processing

This repository contains TCP-based client and server code for task processing.

Requirements

• Python 3.10 and newer - pattern matching is used in both client and server.

Usage

Client:

$ python ./client.py --hlep
usage: client.py [-h] [-H HOST] [-P PORT] {task,status} ...

Send a task for processing or get its status.

positional arguments:
  {task,status}         task operations
    task                send a new task to server
    status              get task status

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -H HOST, --host HOST  server address
  -P PORT, --port PORT  server port

$ python ./client.py task --help
usage: client.py task [-h] [--packet] {1,2,3} task data

positional arguments:
  {1,2,3}     type of the task
  task data   content of the message

options:
  -h, --help  show this help message and exit
  --packet    run in packet mode

$ python ./client.py status --help
usage: client.py task [-h] [--packet] {1,2,3} task data

positional arguments:
  {1,2,3}     type of the task
  task data   content of the message

options:
  -h, --help  show this help message and exit
  --packet    run in packet mode

Server:

$ python .\server.py --help     
usage: server.py [-h] [-H HOST] [-P PORT]

Start a task processing server.

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -H HOST, --host HOST  server address
  -P PORT, --port PORT  server port

Details

• Task is a unit of work, simulating a computation, that is run on the server. There are three types of tasks:

  1. Flip a string (flip -> pilf) with two seconds delay.
  2. Swap even and odd characters in a string (swap -> wspa, odd -> dod) with five seconds delay.
  3. Repeat each character in a string according to its position (repeat -> reepppeeeeaaaaatttttt) with seven seconds delay.

• Server does the following:

  1. Receives a task from the client.
  2. Adds the task to a queue to process one at a time.
  3. Responds to the client with an identifier of the task.
  4. 1. Responds with task status (enqueued, processing, or done).
     2. Responds with a task result.

• Client does the following:

  1. Sends task type and data to the server.
  2. 1. Queries the server for task status.
     2. Queries the server for task result.
  3. Works in a packet mode, which can be interrupted:
     1. Sends task type and data to the server, displays identifier.
     2. Waits for task result (can display status).
     3. Displays task result.