DesignXMPP analysis

Version 3 (Anonymous, 02/29/2012 11:27 am)

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= XMPP library candidates analysis =
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In this phase the existing XMPP libraries will be analyzed and one will be chosen to be used throughout the project.
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== Library requirements ==
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 * Written in Python (C/C++ could also be used, but a wrapper would need to be written)
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 * Support for XMPP server (or component, details later)
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 * Ability to use it with the current model used by SylkServer
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  * Green threads
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  * Callback based IO
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== XMPP server vs XMPP component
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The XMPP protocol was designed to be extended by entities called "components" which sit on the side of the server. A component is addressed with a DNS subdomain in the following form:
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{{{
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component.domain.tld
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}}}
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This mechanism is defined in [http://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0114.html XEP-0114].
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With this architecture in place deployment of additional features to an existing XMPP server doesn't require to modify it. The SIP-XMPP gateway can potentially be implemented as either a XMPP component or an standalone XMPP server.
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== Library evaluation ==
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The following aspects were considered when evaluating a given library:
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 * Met requirements stated above
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 * Is it actively maintained?
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 * Example use cases
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 * Deployments in real-world scenarios
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 * Perceived complexity to integrate it with SylkServer architecture
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=== SleekXMPP===
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 * Plugin architecture, each XEP as a plugin
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 * Client and server component support
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 * Threaded model (thread based scheduler)
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 * Active development
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=== Wokkel ===
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 * Plugin architecture, 'subprotocols' implementing different XEPs
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 * Client and server component support
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 * XMPP server-to-server support (s2s)
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 * Designed to be used with Twisted (reactor model)
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 * Active development
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== Selected XMPP library ==
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After analyzing candidate libraries '''Wokkel''' was the chosen one. Reasons:
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 * Implemented on top of Twisted, which makes integration with SylkServer straightforward
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 * Support for both component and XMPP server models, allowing for flexibility in implementation