add-neutron-extension-resource-timestamp

https://blueprints.launchpad.net/neutron/+spec/add-neutron-extension-resource-timestamp

Neutron extension resource models like router, floatingip, securitygroup and securitygroup rules should include timestamp fields “created_at” and “updated_at”. The fields can make the monitoring changed resource task easier.

Problem Description

Users may be interested in monitoring Neutron extension resources or collecting statistics on a group of resources in a specific time-frame, for instance, querying routers that have changed or refreshed in the last several seconds. In Neutron, we do not have timestamp fields to support this requirement.

For another example, when a router interface had been updated, the notify info should be sent to l3 agent, but it cannot know whether the router had been updated if the message lost. In Neutron, there is no way to vertify the info had been arrived or lost.

Proposed Change

We propose to add created_at and updated_at fields to resource standardattr models. In the sqlalchemy model definition, “default” argument is set to timeutils.utcnow() for created_at and updated_at, so when a resource is created, sqlalchemy will automatically fill these two fields with the timestamp the resource is created; “onupdate” argument is also set to timeutils.utcnow() for updated_at so when a resource is updated, updated_at will be refreshed. All the timestamp field operations are finished in the database side, so there is no extra work needed in the plugin side. If the way below is not work well, we can add the timestamp fields to sqlalchemy model when the creation of extension resources, and the same as the updated_at.

Based on these two fields, changed_since filter is introduced for retrieving resources. It accepts a timestamp and Neutron will return resources with updated_at field later than this timestamp.

Data Model Impact

Currently, HasStandardAttributes model had contained created_at and updated_at. We could reuse the timestamp_core code to implement. This change won’t impact on other models which contain standard attributes.

Attribute name

Type

Default Value

Required

CRUD

Description

created_at updated_at

DateTime DateTime

timeutils.utcnow() timeutils.utcnow()

Y Y

R R

Timestamp resource is created Timestamp resource is updated

As discussed above, these two fields are maintained by sqlalchemy in Neutron server. It’s not necessary for users to pass these two values when creating or updating resource, so only Read operation in CRUD is provided.

REST API Impact

Created_at and updated_at will be returned when users issue resource retrieving requests.

Resources list API will accept new query string parameter changed_since. Users can pass timestamp of ISO 8601 format to the list API uri to retrieve resources operated since a specific time.

Take router as an example, the request uri looks like this:

GET /v2.0/routers?change_since=2015-07-31T00:00:00

and response:

{
    "router": {
        "status": "ACTIVE",
        "external_gateway_info": {
            "network_id": "85d76829-6415-48ff-9c63-5c5ca8c61ac6",
            "external_fixed_ips": [
                {
                    "subnet_id": "255.255.255.0",
                    "ip": "192.168.10.2"
                }
            ]
        },
        "name": "router1",
        "admin_state_up": true,
        "tenant_id": "d6554fe62e2f41efbb6e026fad5c1542",
        "routes": [],
        "id": "a07eea83-7710-4860-931b-5fe220fae533",
        "created_at": "2015-07-31T11:50:05",
        "updated_at": "2015-07-31T11:51:12",
    }
}

Security Impact

None

Notifications Impact

None

Other End User Impact

Neutron python client may add help to inform users the new filter. Neutron python client supports dynamic assigning search fields so it is easy for it to support this new filter. Also Neutron python client needs to add the two new fields when displaying resource information.

Performance Impact

Performance of syncing resource status with other systems like a monitor system or a user interface can be improved. Instead of retrieving all the resources in every syncing period to update resource status, these systems can just retrieve resources updated during the syncing interval using changed_since filter.

IPv6 Impact

None

Other Deployer Impact

NTP service needs to be configured and started to synchronize time among nodes, so the timestamps saved in created_at and updated_at are valid across nodes.

Developer Impact

None

Community Impact

This change will bring facility to monitor Neutron resources. Actually most projects in OpenStack like Nova [1] have timestamp fields to track the operation time of resources.

One problem of absolute timestamp is that sudden system time change caused by attack or failure will make the previous cached timestamp invalid. Seeking a relative timestamp storing strategy may be a better choice, but it’s out of the extent of this blueprint.

Alternatives

None

Implementation

Assignee(s)

Primary assignee:

zhaobo6@huawei.com

Work Items

  • Update database schema

  • Add API filter

  • Add related test

  • Update neutron client to support the new filter

Dependencies

None

Testing

Tempest Tests

None

Functional Tests

  • Test if created_at and updated_at can be correctly initiated.

  • Test if updated_at can be correctly written when resource updated.

  • Test if changed_since filter can be correctly applied.

API Tests

Test if the new filter can be correctly parsed and validated.

Documentation Impact

User Documentation

Update Neutron API reference.

Developer Documentation

Update developer documentation to introduce the new filter.

References