zc.beforestorage 1.0

View storage before a given time

Before Storage

ZODB storages typically store multiple object revisions to support features such as multi-version concurrency control and undo. In the case of the mod popular storage implementation, old revisions aren’t discarded until a pack. This feature has often been exploited to perform time travel, allowing one to look at a database as it existed in at some point in time. In the past, this has been possible with file storage by specifying a time at which to open the file storage. This works fairly well, but is very slow for large databases because existing index files can’t easily be used. Time travel is also supported for individual objects through the ZODB history mechanism.

The introduction of multi-version concurrency control provided new opertunities for time travel. Using the storage loadBefore method, one can load transaction records written before a given time. ZODB 3.9 will provide an option to the database open method for opening connections as of a point in time.

Demo storage can be quite useful for testing, and especially staging applications. In a common configuration, they allow for storing changes to a base database without changing the underlying database. Zope functional testing frameworks leverage demo storages to easily roll-back database state after a test to a non-empty state before a test. A significant limitation of demo storages is that they can’t be used with base storages that change. This means that they generaly can’t be used with ZEO. It isn’t enough to have a read-only connections, if the underlying database is still being changed by other clients.

The “before” storage provides another way to leverage the loadBefore method to support time travel and a means to provide an unchanging view into a ZEO server. A before storage is a database adapter that provides a read-only view of an underlying storage as of a particular point in time.

Contents

• Before Storage

  • Using ZConfig to configure Before storages

    • “before” option

    • “before-from-file” option

  • Demonstration (doctest)

    • Blob Support

  • CHANGES

    • 1.0 (2023-02-09)

    • 0.6 (2020-05-14)

    • 0.5.1 (2013-10-25)

    • 0.5.0 (2013-10-25)

    • 0.4.0 (2010-12-09)

    • 0.3.2 (2008-12-05)

    • 0.3.1 (2008-12-01)

    • 0.3.0 (2008-12-01)

    • 0.2.0 (2008-03-05)

    • 0.1.1 (2008-02-07)

    • 0.1 (2008-01-??)

Using ZConfig to configure Before storages

“before” option

To use before storages from ZConfig configuration files, you need to import zc.beforestorage and then use a before storage section.

>>> import ZODB.config
>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before 2008-01-21
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """)

>>> storage
<Before: my.fs before 2008-01-21 00:00:00.000000>

>>> storage.close()

If we leave off the before option, we’ll use the current time:

>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """)

>>> storage
<Before: my.fs before 2008-01-21 18:22:49.000000>

>>> storage.close()

We can also give the option ‘now’ and get the current time.

>>> import ZODB.config
>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before now
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """)

>>> storage
<Before: my.fs before 2008-01-21 18:22:53.000000>

>>> storage.close()

We can give the option ‘startup’ and get the time at startup.

>>> import ZODB.config
>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before startup
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """)

>>> storage
<Before: my.fs before 2008-01-21 18:22:43.000000>
>>> import zc.beforestorage
>>> import ZODB.TimeStamp
>>> print(
...     str(zc.beforestorage.startup_time_stamp))
2008-01-21 18:22:43.000000
>>> storage.close()

“before-from-file” option

The “before-from-file” option can be used to preserve the changes file between restarts. It’s value is the absolute path to a file. If the file exists, the “before” time will be read from that file. If the file does not exist, it will be created and the current UTC time will be written to it

When used with a Changes file that does NOT have the “create=true” option set, the database will be preserved between restarts.

>>> import os.path
>>> import tempfile

>>> tempdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
>>> before_file = os.path.join(tempdir, 'before-file')

Currently the file does not exist. So it’ll be created and written with the current time. In order to make this repeatable, we “monkeypatch” the “get_now” function in the module to return a fixed value:

>>> import datetime
>>> import zc.beforestorage

>>> def fake_get_utcnow():
...     return datetime.datetime(2008, 1, 1, 15, 0)
>>> orig_get_utcnow = zc.beforestorage.get_utcnow
>>> zc.beforestorage.get_utcnow = fake_get_utcnow

>>> os.path.exists(before_file)
False

>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %%import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before-from-file %s
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """ % before_file)

>>> storage
<Before: my.fs before 2008-01-01 15:00:00.000000>

>>> storage.close()

The file will now have been created:

>>> os.path.exists(before_file)
True

>>> f = open(before_file)
>>> f.read() == fake_get_utcnow().replace(microsecond=0).isoformat()
True

If we now write a new value to the file, the storage will be started with that time.

>>> f = open(before_file, 'w')
>>> _ = f.write('1990-01-01T11:11')
>>> f.close()

>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %%import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before-from-file %s
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """ % before_file)

>>> storage
<Before: my.fs before 1990-01-01 11:11:00.000000>

>>> storage.close()

If we restart the storage, the value from the file will be used.

>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %%import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before-from-file %s
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """ % before_file)

>>> storage
<Before: my.fs before 1990-01-01 11:11:00.000000>

>>> storage.close()

This will continue to happen until we remove the file. The “before_from_file” path is stored on the storage itself, so applications that use it have access to it.

>>> os.remove(storage.before_from_file)

>>> os.path.exists(before_file)
False

If we restart the storage again, a new file will be created.

>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %%import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before-from-file %s
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """ % before_file)

>>> storage
<Before: my.fs before 2008-01-01 15:00:00.000000>

>>> storage.close()

Note that unlike the “before” option, the “before-from-file” file cannot contain special values such as “now” or “startup”.

>>> f = open(before_file, 'w')
>>> _ = f.write('now')
>>> f.close()

>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %%import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before-from-file %s
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """ % before_file)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValueError: 8-byte array expected

Note that only one of “before” or “before-from-file” options can be specified, not both:

>>> storage = ZODB.config.storageFromString("""
...
... %%import zc.beforestorage
...
... <before>
...     before 2008-01-01
...     before-from-file %s
...     <filestorage>
...         path my.fs
...     </filestorage>
... </before>
... """ % before_file)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  ...
ValueError: Only one of "before" or "before-from-file" options can be specified, not both

Cleanup…

>>> import shutil
>>> shutil.rmtree(tempdir)

>>> zc.beforestorage.get_utcnow = orig_get_utcnow

Demonstration (doctest)

Note that most people will configure the storage through ZConfig. If you are one of those people, you may want to stop here. :) The examples below show you how to use the storage from Python, but they also exercise lots of details you might not be interested in.

To see how this works at the Python level, we’ll create a file storage, and use a before storage to provide views on it.

>>> import ZODB.FileStorage
>>> fs = ZODB.FileStorage.FileStorage('Data.fs')
>>> from ZODB.DB import DB
>>> db = DB(fs)
>>> conn = db.open()
>>> root = conn.root()
>>> import persistent.mapping

We’ll record transaction identifiers, which we’ll use to when opening the before storage.

>>> import transaction
>>> transactions = [root._p_serial]
>>> for i in range(1, 11):
...     root[i] = persistent.mapping.PersistentMapping()
...     transaction.get().note("trans %s" % i)
...     transaction.commit()
...     transactions.append(root._p_serial)

We create a before storage by calling the Before constructer with an existing storage and a timestamp:

>>> import zc.beforestorage
>>> b5 = zc.beforestorage.Before(fs, transactions[5])
>>> db5 = DB(b5)
>>> conn5 = db5.open()
>>> root5 = conn5.root()
>>> len(root5)
4

here we see the database as it was before the 5th transaction was committed. If we try to access a later object, we’ll get a ReadConflictError:

>>> conn5.get(root[5]._p_oid)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ZODB.POSException.ReadConflictError: b'\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x05'

Similarly, while we can access earlier object revisions, we can’t access revisions at the before time or later:

>>> _ = b5.loadSerial(root._p_oid, transactions[2])

>>> b5.loadSerial(root._p_oid, transactions[5])
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
POSKeyError: 0x00

Let’s run through the storage methods:

>>> (b5.getName() ==
...  'Data.fs before %s' % ZODB.TimeStamp.TimeStamp(transactions[5]))
True

>>> b5.getSize() == fs.getSize()
True

>>> for hd in b5.history(root._p_oid, size=3):
...     print(hd['description'].decode('utf-8'))
trans 4
trans 3
trans 2

>>> b5.isReadOnly()
True

>>> transactions[4] <= b5.lastTransaction() < transactions[5]
True

>>> len(b5) == len(fs)
True

>>> p, s1, s2 = b5.loadBefore(root._p_oid, transactions[5])
>>> p == fs.loadSerial(root._p_oid, transactions[4])
True
>>> s1 == transactions[4]
True
>>> s2 is None
True

>>> p, s1, s2 = b5.loadBefore(root._p_oid, transactions[4])
>>> p == fs.loadSerial(root._p_oid, transactions[3])
True
>>> s1 == transactions[3]
True
>>> s2 == transactions[4]
True

>>> b5.getTid(root._p_oid) == transactions[4]
True

>>> b5.tpc_transaction()

>>> try:
...     b5.new_oid()
... except Exception as e: # Workaround http://bugs.python.org/issue19138
...     print(e.__class__.__name__)
ReadOnlyError

>>> from ZODB.TimeStamp import TimeStamp
>>> try:
...     b5.pack(TimeStamp(transactions[3]).timeTime(), lambda p: [])
... except Exception as e:
...     print(e.__class__.__name__)
ReadOnlyError

>>> b5.registerDB(db5)

>>> b5.sortKey() == fs.sortKey()
True

>>> try:
...     b5.tpc_begin(transaction.get())
... except Exception as e:
...     print(e.__class__.__name__)
ReadOnlyError

>>> b5.store(root._p_oid, transactions[4], b5.load(root._p_oid)[0], '',
...          transaction.get())
... # doctest: +ELLIPSIS
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
StorageTransactionError: ...

>>> b5.tpc_vote(transaction.get())
... # doctest: +ELLIPSIS
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ZODB.POSException.StorageTransactionError: ...

>>> b5.tpc_finish(transaction)
... # doctest: +ELLIPSIS
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ZODB.POSException.StorageTransactionError: ...

>>> b5.tpc_transaction()
>>> b5.tpc_abort(transaction)

Before storages don’t support undo:

>>> b5.supportsUndo
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
AttributeError: 'Before' object has no attribute 'supportsUndo'

(Don’t even ask about versions. :)

Closing a before storage closes the underlying storage:

>>> b5.close()
>>> fs.load(root._p_oid, '') # doctest: +ELLIPSIS
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValueError: ...

If we ommit a timestamp when creating a before storage, the current time will be used:

>>> fs = ZODB.FileStorage.FileStorage('Data.fs')
>>> from ZODB.DB import DB
>>> db = DB(fs)
>>> conn = db.open()
>>> root = conn.root()

>>> bnow = zc.beforestorage.Before(fs)
>>> dbnow = DB(bnow)
>>> connnow = dbnow.open()
>>> rootnow = connnow.root()

>>> for i in range(1, 11):
...     root[i] = persistent.mapping.PersistentMapping()
...     transaction.get().note("trans %s" % i)
...     transaction.commit()
...     transactions.append(root._p_serial)

>>> len(rootnow)
10

>>> dbnow.close()

The timestamp may be passed directory, or as an ISO time. For example:

>>> fs = ZODB.FileStorage.FileStorage('Data.fs')
>>> iso = 'T'.join(str(ZODB.TimeStamp.TimeStamp(transactions[5])).split()
...                )[:19]
>>> b5 = zc.beforestorage.Before(fs, iso)
>>> db5 = DB(b5)
>>> conn5 = db5.open()
>>> root5 = conn5.root()
>>> len(root5)
4

>>> b5.close()

Blob Support

Before storage supports blobs if the storage it wraps supports blobs, and, in fact, it simply exposes the underlying storages loadBlob and temporaryDirectory methods.

>>> fs = ZODB.FileStorage.FileStorage('Data.fs')
>>> import ZODB.blob
>>> bs = ZODB.blob.BlobStorage('blobs', fs)
>>> db = ZODB.DB(bs)
>>> conn = db.open()
>>> conn.root()['blob'] = ZODB.blob.Blob()
>>> _ = conn.root()['blob'].open('w').write(b'data1')
>>> transaction.commit()

>>> bnow = zc.beforestorage.Before(bs)
>>> dbnow = DB(bnow)
>>> connnow = dbnow.open()
>>> rootnow = connnow.root()

>>> _ = conn.root()['blob'].open('w').write(b'data2')
>>> transaction.commit()

>>> print(rootnow['blob'].open().read().decode('utf-8'))
data1

>>> bnow.temporaryDirectory() == bs.temporaryDirectory()
True

>>> import ZODB.interfaces, zope.interface.verify
>>> zope.interface.verify.verifyObject(
...     ZODB.interfaces.IBlobStorage, bnow)
True

>>> bnow.close()

CHANGES

1.0 (2023-02-09)

• Add support for Python 3.9, 3.10, 3.11.

• Drop support for Python 2.7, 3.5, 3.6.

0.6 (2020-05-14)

• Add support for Python 3.5 through 3.8.

• Drop support for Python 3.3 and 3.4.

• Fix a long-standing bug in loadBefore´. The bug was revealed by testing against ZODB 5, for which loadBefore plays a bigger role.

0.5.1 (2013-10-25)

• Fix broken release

0.5.0 (2013-10-25)

Added ZODB4 and Python 3 support.

0.4.0 (2010-12-09)

Added a “before-from-file” option that can be used if the application wants to preserve beforestorage state between application restarts.

0.3.2 (2008-12-05)

Updated to work with both ZODB 3.8 and 3.9.

0.3.1 (2008-12-01)

Renamed lastTid to getTid to conform to the ZEO.interfaces.IServeable interface.

0.3.0 (2008-12-01)

Added Blob support.

0.2.0 (2008-03-05)

Added support for “now” and “startup” values to the before option when using ZConfig. The “now” value indicates that the before storage should provide a view of the base storage as of the time the storage is created. The “startup” value indicates that the before storage should provide a view of the base stoage as of process startup time. The later is especially useful when setting up more than once before storage in a single application, as it allows you to arrange that all of the storages provide consistent views without having to specify a time.

0.1.1 (2008-02-07)

Fixed a packaging bug that caused some files to be omitted.

0.1 (2008-01-??)

Initial release.