azure-debug-relay 0.1.1

Cross-network remote debugging for Python

Azure Debug Relay for Python

AzDebugRelay - a Python module for cross-network remote debugging in Visual Studio Code.

AzDebugRelay uses debugpy and Azure Relay service to create a debugging tunnel between 2 machines:

1. You local Visual Studio Code debugger in listen mode.
2. You remote code in attach mode.

Both machines can be isolated behind NAT or virtual networks - all they need is to be able to connect to Azure Relay resource. Azure Relay carries a secure tunnel, just as if these machines were in the same VPN.

The debugging tunnel is handled by Azure Relay Bridge utility which is downloaded and installed automatically by AzDebugRelay. Azure Relay Bridge can maintain secure TCP and UDP tunnels for different purposes. AzDebugRelay is a collection of helpers for VS Code and Python that makes easier to use Azure Relay Bridge for debugging remote code.

We currently use a private fork of Azure Relay Bridge repo.

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• debugpy

Azure Relay Bridge tool is a .NET Core application, so you may need to install apt-transport-https and other .NET Core 3.1 Runtime prerequisites on Linux and Windows.

You don't have to install .NET Runtime itself - Azure Relay Bridge builds are self-contained.

Supported Operating Systems

• Ubuntu 18+
• Debian 10+
• macOS 10+
• Windows 10

Usage

Before you start debugging with AzDebugRelay, there are 3 places you configure it:

1. Azure Portal.
2. Local machine where you run Visual Studio Code and its Python debugger.
3. Remote machine where you run the same code files that open locally in VS Code.

In Azure Portal

1. Create Azure Relay resource. Better make one in a region closest to your location.
2. Once created, switch to the resource, and select Hybrid Connections option in the vertical panel.
3. Add a hybrid connection (+ Hybrid Connection button), give it a memorable name (e.g. test 🙂) - this is your Relay Name.
4. Switch to that new hybrid connection, then select Shared Access Policies in the vertical panel.
5. Add a new policy with Send and Listen permissions.
6. Once created, copy its Primary Connection String, this is your Connection String.

Azure CLI version

Choose your name instead of mydebugrelay1 for an Azure Relay resource, and your custom name for Hybrid Connection instead of debugrelayhc1.

az group create --name debugRelayResourceGroup --location westus2

az relay namespace create --resource-group debugRelayResourceGroup --name mydebugrelay1 --location westus2

az relay hyco create --resource-group debugRelayResourceGroup --namespace-name mydebugrelay1 --name debugrelayhc1

az relay hyco authorization-rule create --resource-group debugRelayResourceGroup --namespace-name mydebugrelay1 --hybrid-connection-name debugrelayhc1 --name sendlisten --rights Send Listen

az relay hyco authorization-rule keys list --resource-group debugRelayResourceGroup --namespace-name mydebugrelay1 --hybrid-connection-name debugrelayhc1 --name sendlisten

Last command will show you something like this:

{
  "keyName": "sendlisten",
  "primaryConnectionString": "Endpoint=sb://mydebugrelay1.servicebus.windows.net/;SharedAccessKeyName=sendlisten;SharedAccessKey=REDACTED1;EntityPath=debugrelayhc1",
  "primaryKey": "REDACTED1",
  "secondaryConnectionString": "Endpoint=sb://mydebugrelay1.servicebus.windows.net/;SharedAccessKeyName=sendlisten;SharedAccessKey=REDACTED2;EntityPath=debugrelayhc1",
  "secondaryKey": "REDACTED2"
}

Use primaryConnectionString or secondaryConnectionString value as your Connection String.

Relay Name would be the one you choose instead of debugrelayhc1.

You cannot share the same hybrid connection between multiple active debug sessions unless running between same 2 machines via different ports.

Locally and Remotely

Create .azrelay.json file in your workspace directory or whatever directory will be "current" (next to remote_server_demo.py files), and set 2 variables:

1. AZRELAY_CONNECTION_STRING to your Connection String.
2. AZRELAY_NAME to your Relay Name.

For example:

{
  "AZRELAY_CONNECTION_STRING": "Endpoint=sb://vladkol-relay.servicebus.windows.net/;SharedAccessKeyName=default;SharedAccessKey=REDACTED;EntityPath=test",
  "AZRELAY_NAME": "test"
}

.azrelay.json is added in .gitignore, and won't be committed.

Alternatively, you can assign these 2 variables as environment variables.

Locally in Visual Studio Code

This step must be done before launching the remote code.

1. Open remote_server_demo.py and put a breakpoint in do_work() function.
2. Start debugging in your local Visual Studio Code in Python: Listen configuration.

If you are doing this on tops of your own code:

1. Configure .vscode/tasks.json with tasks as in this repo's .vscode/tasks.json. These tasks take care of launching and stopping Azure Relay Bridge when needed.
2. Configure .vscode/launch.json with Python: Listen configuration as in this repo's .vscode/launch.json.

Notice how the debugger maps paths on the local and the remote machines. If your code has a different structure remotely, you may need to provide more sophisticated path mappings. Here is that piece in .vscode/launch.json:

"pathMappings": [
    {
        "localRoot": "${workspaceFolder}",
        "remoteRoot": "."
    }
]

It tells VS Code that the workspace directory locally is mapped to the "current" directory remotely.

When the debugger looks goes through a file remotely, it needs to find the corresponding file in your local VS Code workspace. When debugging remote_server_demo.py, the debugger maps ./remote_server_demo.py remotely to ${workspaceFolder}/remote_server_demo.py locally.

Remote Machine

1. Clone the repo.
2. Start python3 remote_server_demo.py --debug=attach.

Terminal session you start #2 in must have the repo's directory as current directory - for a reason of mapping local and remote directories.

If everything works as it's supposed to, you will hit a breakpoint in your local Visual Studio Code.

AzDebugRelay API

remote_server_demo.py shows how you can use AzDebugRelay with your code.

azdebugrelay package contains DebugRelay class that install and launches Azure Relay Bridge:

from azdebugrelay import DebugRelay, DebugMode

access_key_or_connection_string = "AZURE RELAY HYBRID CONNECTION STRING OR ACCESS KEY"
relay_name = "RELAY NAME" # your Hybrid Connection name
debug_mode = DebugMode.Connect # or DebugMode.WaitForConnection if connecting from another end
hybrid_connection_url = "HYBRID CONNECTION URL" # can be None if access_key_or_connection_string is a connection string
host = "127.0.0.1" # local hostname or ip address the debugger starts on
port = 5678 # any available port that you can use within your machine

debug_relay = DebugRelay(access_key_or_connection_string, relay_name, debug_mode, hybrid_connection_url, host, port)
debug_relay.open()

# attach to a remote debugger (usually from remote server code) with debug_mode = DebugMode.Connect
debugpy.connect((host, port))

# Debug, debug, debug
# ...
# ...

debug_relay.close()

• access_key_or_connection_string - SAS Policy key or Connection String for Azure Relay Hybrid Connection. Must have Send and Listen permissions
• relay_name - name of the Hybrid Connection
• debug_mode - debug connection mode. DebugMode.WaitForConnection when starting in listening mode, DebugMode.Connect for attaching to a remote debugger.
• hybrid_connection_url - Hybrid Connection URL. Required when access_key_or_connection_string as an access key, otherwise is ignored and may be None.
• host - Local hostname or ip address the debugger starts on, 127.0.0.1 by default
• port - debugging port, 5678 by default

Troubleshooting

Why using Azure Relay Bridge which is a .NET Core application that we have to install and use via subprocess calls?

Reasons:

1. Azure Relay has SDKs for .NET, Java, and Node. No Python SDK or examples.
2. Azure Relay Bridge does a lot of things we have to implement otherwise. It is a great tool that can help you connecting different networks for many purposes: for RDP, SSH and other protocols over TCP or UDP.

A private fork we are currently using is only to provide .NET Core 3.1 builds of the most recent code. There is a pending pul-requests: one and two.

Known issues

When VS Code starts debugging in listen mode, Azure Relay Bridge doesn't close if the debugging session was stopped without another side connected and attached (azbridge keeps running and connected).

Reason: VS Code doesn't launch necessary postDebugTask if no debugging was actually started/attached. Just starting in listen mode doesn't count.

Workaround: Currently only one - killing azbridge process manually. Better solution is in progress.

On macOS, there may be a situation when Azure Relay Bridge (azbridge) cannot connect when creating a local forwarder (-L option).

Reason: .NET Core wants you to add your Computer Name to /etc/hosts file.

Workaround: Make necessary edits of /etc/hosts file:

1. Look for your computer's name in Settings → Sharing.
2. Open /etc/hosts in a text editor in sudo mode (VS Code can save it later in sudo mode).
3. Add the following line (replace your-computer-name with your computer's name). Save the file.

127.0.0.1   your-computer-name

I launched the debugger as described and nothing happened

Reason: you probably didn't put a breakpoint in your VS Code locally. Make sure that breakpoint is in a place that your server process actually runs through.

I do everything right, but thing works

Reason: Stop all debugging sessions (if any). Kill all azbridge processes. Try again.

Doesn't help? File an issue! Thank you!