Overlapping helper requests

This work aims at optimizing how Squid uses helpers such as redirectors, authenticators, external acls etc to allow a single helper to process multiple requests and to lessen the context switching overhead by allowing requests to be batched together.

Contents

Progress

Current status and progress

Helper protocol

Discussion on the revised helper protocol

Internal API changes

Changes required to the internal helper API

Progress

2003-05-29

Overlapping helper requests implemented for non-stateful helpers by a direct port of the prototype developed in Squid-2.5. Committed to HEAD for 3.0.

2003-05-28

Development of Squid-3 version started

2003-05-15

Squid-2.5 version updated and available from MARA Systesm AB

2003-01-09

Squid-2.5 version published by MARA Systems AB for use with their Cerberian content filter integration

2002-10-17

Prototype implementation in Squid-2.5 completed (not supporting stateful helpers)

Helper protocol

Initially there is no helper protocol changes except that requests and responses are prefixed by a integer indicating which request slot/channel the request belongs to. Each helper process has 1-N such slots/channels (N set by configuration).

1 <space> <request 1> \n
2 <space> <request 2> \n

1 <space> <response 1> \n
2 <space> <response 2> \n

Note: Responses may be received in another order than the requests was sent.

If configuration is set to 0 slots (the default) then the old one request at a time protocol is used.

In future stateful helpers may be extended with terminal messages. A suggestion for such protocol is that the space after the slot number is replaced by a - on terminal messages, or that non-terminal messages use a + sign.

1 <minus> <space> <data...> \n
1 <minus> <data...> \n
+1 <space> <data...> \n

Internal API changes

To be written..

The internal API needs to be both refactored and redesigned to support this for stateful helpers in a clean manner. Design phase pending for such API.