grpc/examples/python/cancellation/README.md

### Cancelling RPCs

RPCs may be cancelled by both the client and the server.

#### The Example

In the example, we implement a silly algorithm. We search for bytestrings whose
hashes are similar to a given search string. For example, say we're looking for
the string "doctor". Our algorithm may `JrqhZVkTDoctYrUlXDbL6pfYQHU=` or
`RC9/7mlM3ldy4TdoctOc6WzYbO4=`. This is a brute force algorithm, so the server
performing the search must be conscious the resources it allows to each client
and each client must be conscientious of the resources demanded of the server.

In particular, we ensure that client processes cancel the stream explicitly
before terminating and we ensure the server cancels RPCs that have gone on longer
than a certain number of iterations.

#### Cancellation on the Client Side

A client may cancel an RPC for several reasons. Perhaps the data it requested
has been made irrelevant. Perhaps you, as the client, want to be a good citizen
of the server and are conserving compute resources.

##### Cancelling a Server-Side Unary RPC from the Client

The default RPC methods on a stub will simply return the result of an RPC.

```python
>>> stub = hash_name_pb2_grpc.HashFinderStub(channel)
>>> stub.Find(hash_name_pb2.HashNameRequest(desired_name=name))
<hash_name_pb2.HashNameResponse object at 0x7fe2eb8ce2d0>
```

But you may use the `future()` method to receive an instance of `grpc.Future`.
This interface allows you to wait on a response with a timeout, add a callback
to be executed when the RPC completes, or to cancel the RPC before it has
completed.

In the example, we use this interface to cancel our in-progress RPC when the
user interrupts the process with ctrl-c.

```python
stub = hash_name_pb2_grpc.HashFinderStub(channel)
future = stub.Find.future(hash_name_pb2.HashNameRequest(desired_name=name))
def cancel_request(unused_signum, unused_frame):
    future.cancel()
signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, cancel_request)
```

It's also important that you not block indefinitely on the RPC. Otherwise, the
signal handler will never have a chance to run.

```python
while True:
    try:
        result = future.result(timeout=_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
    except grpc.FutureTimeoutError:
        continue
    except grpc.FutureCancelledError:
        break
    print("Got response: \n{}".format(result))
    break
```

Here, we repeatedly block on a result for up to `_TIMEOUT_SECONDS`. Doing so
gives the signal handlers a chance to run. In the case that our timeout
was reached, we simply continue on in the loop. In the case that the RPC was
cancelled (by our user's ctrl+c), we break out of the loop cleanly. Finally, if
we received the result of the RPC, we print it out for the user and exit the
loop.


##### Cancelling a Server-Side Streaming RPC from the Client

Cancelling a Server-side streaming RPC is even simpler from the perspective of
the gRPC API. The default stub method is already an instance of `grpc.Future`,
so the methods outlined above still apply. It is also a generator, so we may
iterate over it to yield the results of our RPC.

```python
stub = hash_name_pb2_grpc.HashFinderStub(channel)
result_generator = stub.FindRange(hash_name_pb2.HashNameRequest(desired_name=name))
def cancel_request(unused_signum, unused_frame):
    result_generator.cancel()
signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, cancel_request)
```

However, the streaming case is complicated by the fact that there is no way to
propagate a timeout to Python generators. As a result, simply iterating over the
results of the RPC can block indefinitely and the signal handler may never run.
Instead, we iterate over the generator on another thread and retrieve the
results on the main thread with a synchronized `Queue`.

```python
result_queue = Queue()
def iterate_responses(result_generator, result_queue):
    try:
        for result in result_generator:
            result_queue.put(result)
    except grpc.RpcError as rpc_error:
        if rpc_error.code() != grpc.StatusCode.CANCELLED:
            result_queue.put(None)
            raise rpc_error
    result_queue.put(None)
    print("RPC complete")
response_thread = threading.Thread(target=iterate_responses, args=(result_generator, result_queue))
response_thread.daemon = True
response_thread.start()
```

While this thread iterating over the results may block indefinitely, we can
structure the code running on our main thread in such a way that signal handlers
are guaranteed to be run at least every `_TIMEOUT_SECONDS` seconds.

```python
while result_generator.running():
    try:
        result = result_queue.get(timeout=_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
    except QueueEmpty:
        continue
    if result is None:
        break
    print("Got result: {}".format(result))
```

Similarly to the unary example above, we continue in a loop waiting for results,
taking care to block for intervals of `_TIMEOUT_SECONDS` at the longest.
Finally, we use `None` as a sentinel value to signal the end of the stream.

Using this scheme, our process responds nicely to `SIGINT`s while also
explicitly cancelling its RPCs.

#### Cancellation on the Server Side

A server is reponsible for cancellation in two ways. It must respond in some way
when a client initiates a cancellation, otherwise long-running computations
could continue indefinitely.

It may also decide to cancel the RPC for its own reasons. In our example, the
server can be configured to cancel an RPC after a certain number of hashes has
been computed in order to conserve compute resources.

##### Responding to Cancellations from a Servicer Thread

It's important to remember that a gRPC Python server is backed by a thread pool
with a fixed size. When an RPC is cancelled, the library does *not* terminate
your servicer thread. It is your responsibility as the application author to
ensure that your servicer thread terminates soon after the RPC has been
cancelled.

In this example, we use the `ServicerContext.add_callback` method to set a
`threading.Event` object when the RPC is terminated. We pass this `Event` object
down through our hashing algorithm and ensure to check that the RPC is still
ongoing before each iteration.


##### Initiating a Cancellation from a Servicer

Initiating a cancellation from the server side is simpler. Just call
`ServicerContext.cancel()`.