Table of Contents

Terminal Routers

The OneImx.Terminal framework uses routers to direct commands from users or services. This article summarizes the terminal routers designed to abstract and simplify the integration of various communication protocols within .NET for OneImx.Terminal applications.

Terminal Console Router

The framework supports TerminalConsoleRouter that allows end-users to manually enter commands into your terminal application. It ensures that commands entered by the user are routed to the appropriate command runners for execution.

Note: In this context, console refers to an abstraction of console routing, meaning the console can be a standard system console, a desktop application, or a web-based console.

// Setup the terminal context and run the router indefinitely as a console.
TerminalStartContext terminalStartContext = new(TerminalStartMode.Console, terminalTokenSource.Token, commandTokenSource.Token);
TerminalConsoleRouterContext consoleRouterContext = new(terminalStartContext);
await host.RunTerminalRouterAsync<TerminalConsoleRouter, TerminalConsoleRouterContext>(consoleRouterContext);

Console-based routing is particularly useful in environments where manual input and immediate command execution are necessary, offering a direct interface for administrators or users to interact with the system.

graph LR;
    user(User) -- Manual --> server(Terminal Server)
    server --> router(Terminal Router)
    router --> crouter(Command Router)
    crouter --> crunner1(Runner 1)
    crouter --> crunner2(Runner 2)
    crouter --> crunnerN(Runner N)
    
    %% Adding a note to the Terminal Server
    oneimlxnote[OneImx.Terminal Framework] --> server

    classDef user fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef server fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
    classDef router fill:#fbb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef service fill:#dfd,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef note fill:#ffffcc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,stroke-dasharray: 5, 5;

    class user user;
    class server server;
    class router,crouter router;
    class crunner1,crunner2,crunnerN service;
    class oneimlxnote note;

Terminal TCP Router

The framework supports TerminalTcpRouter that allows terminal applications to function as servers, capable of receiving commands over TCP/IP from multiple clients concurrently. It ensures that commands are efficiently routed to the appropriate terminal runners, enabling effective command processing and response handling back to clients."

// Setup the terminal context and run the router as a TCP server indefinitely
TerminalStartContext terminalStartContext = new(TerminalStartMode.Tcp, terminalTokenSource.Token, commandTokenSource.Token);
TerminalConsoleRouterContext consoleRouterContext = new(terminalStartContext);
await host.RunTerminalRouterAsync<TerminalTcpRouter, TerminalTcpRouterContext>(consoleRouterContext);

The standard .NET TCP/IP classes provide the infrastructure for reliable delivery of streams of data between applications. This makes it suitable for applications that require robust communication capabilities, such as those involving hardware interfaces, client-server or service-service architectures.

graph LR;
    client1(Client 1) -- TCP/IP --> server(Terminal Server)
    client2(Client 2) -- TCP/IP --> server
    client3(Client 3) -- TCP/IP --> server
    client4(Client N) -- TCP/IP --> server

    server --> router(Terminal Router)
    router --> crouter(Command Router)
    crouter --> crunner1(Runner 1)
    crouter --> crunner2(Runner 2)
    crouter --> crunnerN(Runner N)

    %% Adding a note to the Terminal Server
    oneimlxnote[OneImx.Terminal Framework] --> server
    
    classDef client fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef server fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
    classDef router fill:#fbb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef service fill:#dfd,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef note fill:#ffffcc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,stroke-dasharray: 5, 5;

    class client1,client2,client3,client4 client;
    class server server;
    class router,crouter router;
    class crunner1,crunner2,crunnerN service;
    class oneimlxnote note;

Terminal UDP Router

The framework supports TerminalUdpRouter that allows terminal applications to function as servers, capable of receiving commands over UDP from multiple clients concurrently. It ensures that commands are efficiently routed to the appropriate terminal runners.

// Setup the terminal context and run the router as a UDP server indefinitely
TerminalStartContext terminalStartContext = new(TerminalStartMode.Udp, terminalTokenSource.Token, commandTokenSource.Token);
TerminalConsoleRouterContext consoleRouterContext = new(terminalStartContext);
await host.RunTerminalRouterAsync<TerminalUdpRouter, TerminalUdpRouterContext>(consoleRouterContext);

The standard .NET UDP classes provide the infrastructure for datagram-based communications that do not require a connection before data is sent. This makes it suitable for applications that require lightweight, low-latency communication, such as real-time data feeds or multimedia streaming.

graph LR;
    client1(Client 1) -- UDP --> server(Terminal Server)
    client2(Client 2) -- UDP --> server
    client3(Client 3) -- UDP --> server
    client4(Client N) -- UDP --> server

    server --> router(Terminal Router)
    router --> crouter(Command Router)
    crouter --> crunner1(Runner 1)
    crouter --> crunner2(Runner 2)
    crouter --> crunnerN(Runner N)

    %% Adding a note to the Terminal Server
    oneimlxnote[OneImx.Terminal Framework] --> server
    
    classDef client fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef server fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
    classDef router fill:#fbb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef service fill:#dfd,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef note fill:#ffffcc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,stroke-dasharray: 5, 5;

    class client1,client2,client3,client4 client;
    class server server;
    class router,crouter router;
    class crunner1,crunner2,crunnerN service;
    class oneimlxnote note;

Terminal Custom Router

The OneImx.Terminal framework also supports custom routers via TerminalCustomRouter, allowing for specialized routing logic that may not be covered by standard TCP, UDP, or console routers. This flexibility supports unique application-specific routing needs that require customized behavior beyond standard protocol handling.

// Setup the terminal context and run a custom router based on specific requirements
TerminalStartContext terminalStartContext = new(TerminalStartMode.Custom, terminalTokenSource.Token, commandTokenSource.Token);
TerminalCustomRouterContext customRouterContext = new(terminalStartContext);
await host.RunTerminalRouterAsync<MyTerminalCustomRouter, MyTerminalCustomRouterContext>(customRouterContext);

Mixed Mode Terminal Router

The framework support a mixed mode terminal router that allows developers to create terminals with multiple operational modes. Using startup arguments, terminals can be configured to operate in console mode for user interactions, as a TCP/UDP server for handling network commands, or a custom router tailored to specific needs.

Developers can pass the desired operational mode using startup arguments during the application launch. The Main method of the terminal application then processes these arguments to initiate the appropriate mode.

For instance, a terminal application can be configured to start in console mode directly by a user to execute commands manually. Alternatively, when started in TCP or UDP mode, it enables the application to accept commands remotely from other services or networked clients, effectively serving as a backend server.

Important: Once the terminal router is configured at startup, it cannot be changed during runtime.

graph TD;
    A[Start Terminal] --> B{Check Mode}
    B -->|Console| C[Console Router]
    B -->|TCP| D[TCP Router]
    B -->|UDP| E[UDP Router]
    B -->|Custom| F[Custom Router]

    classDef default fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef user fill:#ffc,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef server fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
    classDef router fill:#fbb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef service fill:#dfd,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;

    class A user;
    class B server;
    class C,D,E,F router;

Selecting a Router

Choosing the right router depends on your application's specific communication needs, including factors such as reliability, speed, bidirectional communication, and message brokering capabilities. Each router in the OneImx.Terminal framework abstracts the underlying protocol complexities, providing a simplified interface for developers to integrate network communication features seamlessly into their applications.

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