Proposed: Launching the mvsqlite rdbms server

Context

In software development and maintenance, automation of routine tasks is crucial for efficiency. One such task is launching a database server at system startup. For macOS users, this can be achieved using launchd, an open-source service management framework. In this context, we are specifically interested in automating the launch of the mvsqlite RDBMS server.

Problem Statement

The task at hand is to create a launchd service for macOS that will automatically run the following command at system startup:

/usr/local/bin/mvstore --data-plane 127.0.0.1:7000 --admin-api 127.0.0.1:7001 --metadata-prefix mvstore-test --raw-data-prefix m --auto-create-namespace --cluster /usr/local/etc/foundationdb/fdb.cluster

Additionally, we need to be able to retrieve logs from this service and check its status.

Solution

To solve this problem, we can create a .plist file in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents directory. This file will define our launchd service and specify the command it should run. We can also add keys to redirect the standard output and error to log files. Finally, we can use the launchctl list command to check the status of our service.

Here are the detailed steps:

Creating the .plist File

Open Terminal and navigate to the LaunchAgents directory:

cd ~/Library/LaunchAgents

Create a new .plist file called com.user.mvstore.plist:

touch com.user.mvstore.plist

Open the file with a text editor (e.g., nano):

nano com.user.mvstore.plist

Paste the following content into the file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.user.mvstore</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/usr/local/bin/mvstore</string>
        <string>--data-plane</string>
        <string>127.0.0.1:7000</string>
        <string>--admin-api</string>
        <string>127.0.0.1:7001</string>
        <string>--metadata-prefix</string>
        <string>mvstore-test</string>
        <string>--raw-data-prefix</string>
        <string>m</string>
        <string>--auto-create-namespace</string>
        <string>--cluster</string>
        <string>/usr/local/etc/foundationdb/fdb.cluster</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
    <dict>
        <key>RUST_LOG</key>
        <string>info</string>
        <key>DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH</key>
        <string>/usr/local/lib</string>
    </dict>
</dict>
</plist>

Save and close the file.
Load the new service:

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.mvstore.plist

Retrieving Logs

To retrieve logs from the launchd service, add the StandardOutPath and StandardErrorPath keys to the .plist file. These keys will redirect the standard output (stdout) and standard error (stderr) to specified log files.

Checking the Service Status

To check the launchd status for mvsqlite, use the launchctl list command:

launchctl list | grep mvstore

Benefits

Automating tasks with launchd can save time and reduce the risk of errors. It also provides a standardized way to manage services on macOS.

Downsides

The main downside is that launchd is specific to macOS, so this solution won’t work on other operating systems.

The Road Not Taken

An alternative approach could be to use cron jobs or another task scheduler, but these may not offer the same level of control and flexibility as launchd.

Infrequent Use Case

This solution is most useful for developers who frequently need to run certain commands at system startup. It may be less relevant for casual users or those who don’t use macOS.

In Core and Done by Us

This solution was developed in-house by the V-Sekai development team.

Status

Status: Proposed

Decision Makers

V-Sekai development team