mentat-ideagen.py

This Mentat module is a script providing functions for generating IDEA messages, mainly for testing or development purposes.

The messsages are generated using prepared templates filled with randomized values of certain keys.

Currently this script is work in progress and many features are hardcoded, like the lists of values for message randomization process.

This script is implemented using the pyzenkit.zenscript framework and so it provides all of its core features. See the documentation for more in-depth details.

Message templates

Message templates are based on jinja2 templates. The location of template directory can be adjusted with command line option --template-dir or configuration file directive template_dir and by default is set to /etc/mentat/templates/idea.

Usage examples

# Display help message and exit.
mentat-ideagen.py --help

# Run in debug mode (enable output of debugging information to terminal).
mentat-ideagen.py --debug

# Run with increased logging level.
mentat-ideagen.py --log-level debug

# Generate given number of messages.
mentat-ideagen.py --count 10

# Generate random number of messages up to given max count.
mentat-ideagen.py --random-count 10

# Generate messages into given queue directory.
mentat-ideagen.py --queue-dir /var/mentat/spool/mentat-inspector.py/incoming

Available script commands

generate-random (default)

Generate configured number of random test messages into target queue directory.

Custom configuration

Custom command line options

--count

Number of messages to be generated in one batch. This option is mutually exclusive with random-count and always comes as a second.

Type: integer, default: 1

--random-count

Number of messages to be generated in one batch. This option is mutually exclusive with count and always takes precedence.

Type: integer, default: None

--steady

Generate messages continuously with given time backoff (flag).

Type: boolean, default: False

--back-off

Back-off time between message batches in seconds, used when steady is True.

Type: integer, default: 60

--queue-dir

Name of the target queue directory.

Type: string, default: /var/tmp

--temp-dir

Name of the temporary file directory.

Type: string, default: /var/tmp

--template

Name of template file for generating messages.

Type: string, default: msg.01.idea.j2

--template-dir

Name of the directory containing message templates.

Type: string, default: /etc/mentat/templates/idea

Configuration

The application supports multiple means for adjusting the internal configurations. When appropriate the default values for each configuration is hardcoded in module source code. However there are several options to change the value:

  • Override the internal default value when instantinating the application object by passing different value to object constructor.

  • Pass the different value by configuration file.

  • Pass the different value by command line option.

The configuration values are assigned from the sources mentioned above in that particular order, so the value given by command line option overwrites the value written in configuration file.

Command line options

Configuration can be passed down to application by command line options. These options have the highest priority and will overwrite any other configuration values. Depending on the base object of the application different set of options is available.

Common application options

Following configuration options are available for all applications based on pyzenkit.baseapp:

--help

Display help and usage description and exit (flag).

--debug

Run in debug mode (flag).

Input various status information to stderr.

Type: boolean, default: False

--quiet

Run in quiet mode (flag).

Do not write anything to stdout or stderr.

Type: boolean, default: False

--verbose

Increase application output verbosity (flag, repeatable).

Type: boolean, default: False

--name alternative-name

Alternative name for application instead of default $0.

This value will be used to generate names for log, runlog, pid, status and other application files.

Type: string, default: $0

--config-file file-name

Name of the configuration file.

Type: string, default: autodetected

--config-file-silent

Do not complain in case given configuration file does not exist (flag).

Type: boolean, default: False

--config-dir file-name

Name of the configuration directory.

Type: string, default: autodetected

--config-file-silent

Do not complain in case given configuration directory does not exist (flag).

Type: boolean, default: False

--log-file file-name

Name of the log file.

Type: string, default: autodetected

--log-level level

Logging level [debug, info, warning, error, critical].

Type: string, default: info

--runlog-dir dir-name

Name of the runlog directory.

Type: string, default: autodetected

--runlog-dump

Dump runlog to stdout when done processing (flag).

Type: boolean, default: False

--runlog-log

Write runlog to logging service when done processing (flag)

Type: boolean, default: False

--pstate-file file-name

Name of the persistent state file.

Type: string, default: autodetected

--pstate-dump

Dump persistent state to stdout when done processing (flag).

Type: boolean, default: False

--pstate-log

Write persistent state to logging service when done processing (flag).

Type: boolean, default: False

--action action

Execute given quick action and exit. List of available actions can be displayed with --help option.

Type: string, default: None

--user name-or-id

Name/gid of the system user for process permissions.

Type: string, default: None

--group name-or-id

Name/gid of the system group for process permissions.

Type: string, default: None

Common script options

Following configuration options are available on top of common applicationsoptions for all applications based on pyzenkit.zenscript:

--regular

Operational mode: regular script execution (flag).

Conflicts with --shell option.

Type: boolean, default: False

--shell

Operational mode: manual script execution from shell (flag).

Conflicts with --regular option.

Type: boolean, default: False

--command name

Name of the script command to be executed.

Type: string, default: autodetected

--interval interval

Execution interval. This value should correspond with related cron script.

Type: string, default: daily

--adjust-thresholds

Round-up time interval threshols to interval size (flag).

Type: boolean, default: False

--time-high time

Upper time interval threshold.

Type: float, default: time.time

Configuration files and directories

Configuration can be passed down to application using a combination of configuration file or configuration directory.

The available configuration keys are very similar to command line options and the names differ only in the use of _ character instead of -. However there is a certain set of configuration keys that is available only through command line options and not through configuration file and vice versa.