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The idea for Mongrel2 is slightly controversial, but it has potential. Here's
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some criticisms about the proposed design, and I'm looking for more.
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Criticism: Windows Registry
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---------------------------
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"Using sqlite for the config file will be like working with the windows registry."
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Mongrel2 now has support for configuring itself from anything, including the
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default of a sqlite3 database. After a year of using Mongrel2 in production I can
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tell you this is freaking awesome. It's nothing like the Windows Registry and
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people telling you that are just trying to trot out an old Window$-Hater Linux
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Guy trope to scare you.
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Criticism: Config Files Are Better
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----------------------------------
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I work in a fully automated developer operations world, and have found
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that no, configuration files are not better. Configuration files suck
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unless you're some jerk who likes editing them. The rest of us generate
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them from a Chef or Puppet server and get on with our lives.
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Criticism: It should be event based, not use coroutines or threads.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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It is event based in that it uses kqueue/epoll/poll/select, but it abstracts
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the complexity of event systems away using coroutines. You get the best of
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Criticism: Flash sucks, use something else.
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--------------------------------
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JSSockets work, and they're reliable. When WebSockets is established and in at
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least 2 browsers I'll add that as well. Mongrel2 works with long polling but
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it's not that big of a deal, it's just how Mongrel2 works. It's only a big
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deal in web servers that suck.
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We'll be also releasing a version with the latest "hybi" implementation of
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WebSockets because they don't suck.
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Criticism: It needs to serve files.
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------------------------
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It does serve files, and since obviously that's the first vanity metric
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everyone uses, it will serve them fast. It's just Mongrel2 will favor
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*language agnostic* applications over simple file serving. Actually, I'm
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not sure why people thought it wouldn't.
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Criticism: People hate SQL and won't want to use it to configure Mongrel2.
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--------------------------------------------------------------
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They don't use SQL, they use a tool called *m2sh* or use any programming language
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they want with any database they want, even flat files.
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Criticism: SQLite3 is not Diff/Git friendly so I can't use it.
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--------------------------------------------------
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The default *m2sh* command uses a config file, so diff away. If you want to
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then use only config files you can write a new backend that gets rid of
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sqlite3, or uses redis. Whatever you want.
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Criticism: SQLite3 will be hard to change quickly so I'll be stuck in an emergency situation.
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It's a SQL database, it's all about changes, and you won't use SQL directly,
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so this is just plain wrong. Not only will you be able to change it
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quickly, but you'll be able to replicate those changes to all your
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servers in one shot, roll them back, and lots of other great features.
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Criticism: It will suck for developers because so much emphasis is on operations.
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No, it will obviously be for both, it'll just be focused on operations needs
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before developer needs. You will of course still get your "5 minute quick
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start" and be able to fire up your application quickly, just like all the
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Criticism: SQLite cannot handle hierarchical configs like in NGinx.
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--------------------------------------------------------
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We have completely smashed this criticism in the face. We have working
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code that not only can load a full hierarchical config from SQLite, but
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also load it *from anything else*.
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docs/site/src/wiki/design_criticisms.md
