]> arthur.barton.de Git - netdata.git/blobdiff - src/backends.c
backend now sends all metrics for all hosts
[netdata.git] / src / backends.c
index 854a1f06f4527fc2ff8f3ca2934a5fe76c1a0cd2..a3717bc066f483732f052302b8626417c3c66a4d 100644 (file)
 #include "common.h"
 
-int connect_to_socket4(const char *ip, int port) {
-    int sock;
+#define BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_AS_COLLECTED 0x00000001
+#define BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_AVERAGE      0x00000002
+#define BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_SUM          0x00000004
 
-    debug(D_LISTENER, "IPv4 connecting to ip '%s' port %d", ip, port);
+static inline calculated_number backend_calculate_value_from_stored_data(RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before, uint32_t options) {
+    time_t first_t = rrdset_first_entry_t(st);
+    time_t last_t = rrdset_last_entry_t(st);
 
-    sock = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-    if(sock < 0) {
-        error("IPv4 socket() on ip '%s' port %d failed.", ip, port);
-        return -1;
-    }
+    if(unlikely(before < first_t || after > last_t))
+        // the chart has not been updated in the wanted timeframe
+        return NAN;
 
-    struct sockaddr_in name;
-    memset(&name, 0, sizeof(struct sockaddr_in));
-    name.sin_family = AF_INET;
-    name.sin_port = htons(port);
+    // align the time-frame
+    // for 'after' also skip the first value by adding st->update_every
+    after  = after  - after  % st->update_every + st->update_every;
+    before = before - before % st->update_every;
 
-    int ret = inet_pton(AF_INET, ip, (void *)&name.sin_addr.s_addr);
-    if(ret != 1) {
-        error("Failed to convert '%s' to a valid IPv4 address.", ip);
-        close(sock);
-        return -1;
-    }
+    if(unlikely(after < first_t))
+        after = first_t;
 
-    if(connect(sock, (struct sockaddr *) &name, sizeof(name)) < 0) {
-        close(sock);
-        error("IPv4 failed to connect to '%s', port %d", ip, port);
-        return -1;
-    }
+    if(unlikely(after > before))
+        // this can happen when the st->update_every > before - after
+        before = after;
 
-    debug(D_LISTENER, "Connected to IPv4 ip '%s' port %d", ip, port);
-    return sock;
-}
+    if(unlikely(before > last_t))
+        before = last_t;
 
-int connect_to_socket6(const char *ip, int port) {
-    int sock = -1;
-    int ipv6only = 1;
+    size_t counter = 0;
+    calculated_number sum = 0;
 
-    debug(D_LISTENER, "IPv6 connecting to ip '%s' port %d", ip, port);
+    long    start_at_slot = rrdset_time2slot(st, before),
+            stop_at_slot  = rrdset_time2slot(st, after),
+            slot, stop_now = 0;
 
-    sock = socket(AF_INET6, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-    if (sock < 0) {
-        error("IPv6 socket() on ip '%s' port %d failed.", ip, port);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    /* IPv6 only */
-    if(setsockopt(sock, IPPROTO_IPV6, IPV6_V6ONLY, (void*)&ipv6only, sizeof(ipv6only)) != 0)
-        error("Cannot set IPV6_V6ONLY on ip '%s' port's %d.", ip, port);
+    for(slot = start_at_slot; !stop_now ; slot--) {
+        if(unlikely(slot < 0)) slot = st->entries - 1;
+        if(unlikely(slot == stop_at_slot)) stop_now = 1;
 
-    struct sockaddr_in6 name;
-    memset(&name, 0, sizeof(struct sockaddr_in6));
-    name.sin6_family = AF_INET6;
-    name.sin6_port = htons ((uint16_t) port);
+        storage_number n = rd->values[slot];
+        if(unlikely(!does_storage_number_exist(n))) continue;
 
-    int ret = inet_pton(AF_INET6, ip, (void *)&name.sin6_addr.s6_addr);
-    if(ret != 1) {
-        error("Failed to convert IP '%s' to a valid IPv6 address.", ip);
-        close(sock);
-        return -1;
+        calculated_number value = unpack_storage_number(n);
+        sum += value;
+        counter++;
     }
 
-    name.sin6_scope_id = 0;
+    if(unlikely(!counter))
+        return NAN;
 
-    if(connect(sock, (struct sockaddr *)&name, sizeof(name)) < 0) {
-        close(sock);
-        error("IPv6 failed to connect to '%s', port %d", ip, port);
-        return -1;
-    }
+    if(unlikely(options & BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_SUM))
+        return sum;
 
-    debug(D_LISTENER, "Connected to IPv6 ip '%s' port %d", ip, port);
-    return sock;
+    return sum / (calculated_number)counter;
 }
 
+static inline int format_dimension_collected_graphite_plaintext(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, const char *hostname, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before, uint32_t options) {
+    (void)host;
+    (void)after;
+    (void)before;
+    (void)options;
+    buffer_sprintf(b, "%s.%s.%s.%s " COLLECTED_NUMBER_FORMAT " %u\n", prefix, hostname, st->id, rd->id, rd->last_collected_value, (uint32_t)rd->last_collected_time.tv_sec);
+    return 1;
+}
 
-static inline int connect_to_one(const char *definition, int default_port) {
-    struct addrinfo hints;
-    struct addrinfo *result = NULL, *rp = NULL;
-
-    char buffer[strlen(definition) + 1];
-    strcpy(buffer, definition);
-
-    char buffer2[10 + 1];
-    snprintfz(buffer2, 10, "%d", default_port);
-
-    char *ip = buffer, *port = buffer2;
-
-    char *e = ip;
-    if(*e == '[') {
-        e = ++ip;
-        while(*e && *e != ']') e++;
-        if(*e == ']') {
-            *e = '\0';
-            e++;
-        }
-    }
-    else {
-        while(*e && *e != ':') e++;
+static inline int format_dimension_stored_graphite_plaintext(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, const char *hostname, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before, uint32_t options) {
+    (void)host;
+    calculated_number value = backend_calculate_value_from_stored_data(st, rd, after, before, options);
+    if(!isnan(value)) {
+        buffer_sprintf(b, "%s.%s.%s.%s " CALCULATED_NUMBER_FORMAT " %u\n", prefix, hostname, st->id, rd->id, value, (uint32_t) before);
+        return 1;
     }
+    return 0;
+}
 
-    if(*e == ':') {
-        port = e + 1;
-        *e = '\0';
-    }
+static inline int format_dimension_collected_opentsdb_telnet(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, const char *hostname, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before, uint32_t options) {
+    (void)host;
+    (void)after;
+    (void)before;
+    (void)options;
+    buffer_sprintf(b, "put %s.%s.%s %u " COLLECTED_NUMBER_FORMAT " host=%s\n", prefix, st->id, rd->id, (uint32_t)rd->last_collected_time.tv_sec, rd->last_collected_value, hostname);
+    return 1;
+}
 
-    if(!*ip)
-        return -1;
-
-    if(!*port)
-        port = buffer2;
-
-    memset(&hints, 0, sizeof(struct addrinfo));
-    hints.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC;    /* Allow IPv4 or IPv6 */
-    hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_DGRAM; /* Datagram socket */
-    hints.ai_flags = AI_PASSIVE;    /* For wildcard IP address */
-    hints.ai_protocol = 0;          /* Any protocol */
-    hints.ai_canonname = NULL;
-    hints.ai_addr = NULL;
-    hints.ai_next = NULL;
-
-    int r = getaddrinfo(ip, port, &hints, &result);
-    if (r != 0) {
-        error("Cannot resolve host '%s', port '%s': %s\n", ip, port, gai_strerror(r));
-        return -1;
+static inline int format_dimension_stored_opentsdb_telnet(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, const char *hostname, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before, uint32_t options) {
+    (void)host;
+    calculated_number value = backend_calculate_value_from_stored_data(st, rd, after, before, options);
+    if(!isnan(value)) {
+        buffer_sprintf(b, "put %s.%s.%s %u " CALCULATED_NUMBER_FORMAT " host=%s\n", prefix, st->id, rd->id, (uint32_t) before, value, hostname);
+        return 1;
     }
+    return 0;
+}
 
-    int fd = -1;
-    for (rp = result; rp != NULL && fd == -1; rp = rp->ai_next) {
-        char rip[INET_ADDRSTRLEN + INET6_ADDRSTRLEN] = "INVALID";
-        int rport;
-
-        switch (rp->ai_addr->sa_family) {
-            case AF_INET: {
-                struct sockaddr_in *sin = (struct sockaddr_in *) rp->ai_addr;
-                inet_ntop(AF_INET, &sin->sin_addr, rip, INET_ADDRSTRLEN);
-                rport = ntohs(sin->sin_port);
-                fd = connect_to_socket4(rip, rport);
-                break;
-            }
+static inline int process_graphite_response(BUFFER *b) {
+    char sample[1024];
+    const char *s = buffer_tostring(b);
+    char *d = sample, *e = &sample[sizeof(sample) - 1];
 
-            case AF_INET6: {
-                struct sockaddr_in6 *sin6 = (struct sockaddr_in6 *) rp->ai_addr;
-                inet_ntop(AF_INET6, &sin6->sin6_addr, rip, INET6_ADDRSTRLEN);
-                rport = ntohs(sin6->sin6_port);
-                fd = connect_to_socket6(rip, rport);
-                break;
-            }
-        }
+    for(; *s && d < e ;s++) {
+        char c = *s;
+        if(unlikely(!isprint(c))) c = ' ';
+        *d++ = c;
     }
+    *d = '\0';
 
-    freeaddrinfo(result);
-
-    return fd;
+    info("Received %zu bytes from graphite backend. Ignoring them. Sample: '%s'", buffer_strlen(b), sample);
+    buffer_flush(b);
+    return 0;
 }
 
-static inline void format_dimension_collected_graphite_plaintext(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before) {
-    time_t last = rd->last_collected_time.tv_sec;
-    if(likely(last >= after && last < before))
-        buffer_sprintf(b, "%s.%s.%s.%s " COLLECTED_NUMBER_FORMAT " %u\n", prefix, host->hostname, st->id, rd->id, rd->last_collected_value, (uint32_t)last);
-}
+static inline int process_opentsdb_response(BUFFER *b) {
+    char sample[1024];
+    const char *s = buffer_tostring(b);
+    char *d = sample, *e = &sample[sizeof(sample) - 1];
 
-static inline void format_dimension_stored_graphite_plaintext(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before) {
-    time_t last = rd->last_collected_time.tv_sec;
-    if(likely(last >= after && last < before))
-        buffer_sprintf(b, "%s.%s.%s.%s " CALCULATED_NUMBER_FORMAT " %u\n", prefix, host->hostname, st->id, rd->id, rd->last_stored_value, (uint32_t)last);
-}
-
-static inline void format_dimension_collected_opentsdb_telnet(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before) {
-    time_t last = rd->last_collected_time.tv_sec;
-    if(likely(last >= after && last < before))
-        buffer_sprintf(b, "put %s.%s.%s %u " COLLECTED_NUMBER_FORMAT " host=%s\n", prefix, st->id, rd->id, (uint32_t)last, rd->last_collected_value, host->hostname);
-}
+    for(; *s && d < e ;s++) {
+        char c = *s;
+        if(unlikely(!isprint(c))) c = ' ';
+        *d++ = c;
+    }
+    *d = '\0';
 
-static inline void format_dimension_stored_opentsdb_telnet(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before) {
-    time_t last = rd->last_collected_time.tv_sec;
-    if(likely(last >= after && last < before))
-        buffer_sprintf(b, "put %s.%s.%s %u " CALCULATED_NUMBER_FORMAT " host=%s\n", prefix, st->id, rd->id, (uint32_t)last, rd->last_stored_value, host->hostname);
+    info("Received %zu bytes from opentsdb backend. Ignoring them. Sample: '%s'", buffer_strlen(b), sample);
+    buffer_flush(b);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 void *backends_main(void *ptr) {
-    (void)ptr;
-    BUFFER *b = buffer_create(1);
-    void (*formatter)(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before);
+    struct netdata_static_thread *static_thread = (struct netdata_static_thread *)ptr;
 
-    info("BACKENDs thread created with task id %d", gettid());
+    BUFFER *b = buffer_create(1), *response = buffer_create(1);
+    int (*backend_request_formatter)(BUFFER *b, const char *prefix, RRDHOST *host, const char *hostname, RRDSET *st, RRDDIM *rd, time_t after, time_t before, uint32_t options) = NULL;
+    int (*backend_response_checker)(BUFFER *b) = NULL;
+
+    info("BACKEND thread created with task id %d", gettid());
 
     if(pthread_setcanceltype(PTHREAD_CANCEL_DEFERRED, NULL) != 0)
         error("Cannot set pthread cancel type to DEFERRED.");
@@ -191,79 +142,400 @@ void *backends_main(void *ptr) {
     if(pthread_setcancelstate(PTHREAD_CANCEL_ENABLE, NULL) != 0)
         error("Cannot set pthread cancel state to ENABLE.");
 
+    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // collect configuration options
+
+    struct timeval timeout = {
+            .tv_sec = 0,
+            .tv_usec = 0
+    };
     int default_port = 0;
-    int enabled = config_get_boolean("backends", "enable", 0);
-    const char *source = config_get("backends", "data source", "as stored");
-    const char *type = config_get("backends", "type", "graphite");
-    const char *destination = config_get("backends", "destination", "localhost");
-    const char *prefix = config_get("backends", "prefix", "netdata");
-    int frequency = (int)config_get_number("backends", "update every", 10);
-
-    if(!enabled)
+    int sock = -1;
+    uint32_t options;
+    int enabled             = config_get_boolean("backend", "enabled", 0);
+    const char *source      = config_get("backend", "data source", "average");
+    const char *type        = config_get("backend", "type", "graphite");
+    const char *destination = config_get("backend", "destination", "localhost");
+    const char *prefix      = config_get("backend", "prefix", "netdata");
+    const char *hostname    = config_get("backend", "hostname", localhost->hostname);
+    int frequency           = (int)config_get_number("backend", "update every", 10);
+    int buffer_on_failures  = (int)config_get_number("backend", "buffer on failures", 10);
+    long timeoutms          = config_get_number("backend", "timeout ms", frequency * 2 * 1000);
+
+    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // validate configuration options
+    // and prepare for sending data to our backend
+
+    if(!enabled || frequency < 1)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if(!strcmp(source, "as collected")) {
+        options = BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_AS_COLLECTED;
+    }
+    else if(!strcmp(source, "average")) {
+        options = BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_AVERAGE;
+    }
+    else if(!strcmp(source, "sum") || !strcmp(source, "volume")) {
+        options = BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_SUM;
+    }
+    else {
+        error("Invalid data source method '%s' for backend given. Disabling backed.", source);
         goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if(timeoutms < 1) {
+        error("BACKED invalid timeout %ld ms given. Assuming %d ms.", timeoutms, frequency * 2 * 1000);
+        timeoutms = frequency * 2 * 1000;
+    }
+    timeout.tv_sec  = (timeoutms * 1000) / 1000000;
+    timeout.tv_usec = (timeoutms * 1000) % 1000000;
+
+
+    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // select the backend type
 
     if(!strcmp(type, "graphite") || !strcmp(type, "graphite:plaintext")) {
         default_port = 2003;
-        if(!strcmp(source, "as collected"))
-            formatter = format_dimension_collected_graphite_plaintext;
+        if(options == BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_AS_COLLECTED)
+            backend_request_formatter = format_dimension_collected_graphite_plaintext;
         else
-            formatter = format_dimension_stored_graphite_plaintext;
+            backend_request_formatter = format_dimension_stored_graphite_plaintext;
+
+        backend_response_checker = process_graphite_response;
     }
     else if(!strcmp(type, "opentsdb") || !strcmp(type, "opentsdb:telnet")) {
-        default_port = 2003;
-        if(!strcmp(source, "as collected"))
-            formatter = format_dimension_collected_opentsdb_telnet;
+        default_port = 4242;
+        if(options == BACKEND_SOURCE_DATA_AS_COLLECTED)
+            backend_request_formatter = format_dimension_collected_opentsdb_telnet;
         else
-            formatter = format_dimension_stored_opentsdb_telnet;
+            backend_request_formatter = format_dimension_stored_opentsdb_telnet;
+
+        backend_response_checker = process_opentsdb_response;
     }
     else {
         error("Unknown backend type '%s'", type);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    time_t after, before = (time_t)(time_usec() / 10000000ULL);
+    if(backend_request_formatter == NULL || backend_response_checker == NULL) {
+        error("backend is misconfigured - disabling it.");
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+
+    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // prepare the charts for monitoring the backend operation
+
+    struct rusage thread;
+
+    collected_number
+            chart_buffered_metrics = 0,
+            chart_lost_metrics = 0,
+            chart_sent_metrics = 0,
+            chart_buffered_bytes = 0,
+            chart_received_bytes = 0,
+            chart_sent_bytes = 0,
+            chart_receptions = 0,
+            chart_transmission_successes = 0,
+            chart_transmission_failures = 0,
+            chart_data_lost_events = 0,
+            chart_lost_bytes = 0,
+            chart_backend_reconnects = 0,
+            chart_backend_latency = 0;
+
+    RRDSET *chart_metrics = rrdset_create_localhost("netdata", "backend_metrics", NULL, "backend", NULL, "Netdata Buffered Metrics", "metrics", 130600, frequency, RRDSET_TYPE_LINE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_metrics, "buffered", NULL,  1, 1, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_metrics, "lost",     NULL,  1, 1, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_metrics, "sent",     NULL,  1, 1, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+
+    RRDSET *chart_bytes = rrdset_create_localhost("netdata", "backend_bytes", NULL, "backend", NULL, "Netdata Backend Data Size", "KB", 130610, frequency, RRDSET_TYPE_AREA);
+    rrddim_add(chart_bytes, "buffered", NULL, 1, 1024, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_bytes, "lost",     NULL, 1, 1024, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_bytes, "sent",     NULL, 1, 1024, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_bytes, "received", NULL, 1, 1024, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+
+    RRDSET *chart_ops = rrdset_create_localhost("netdata", "backend_ops", NULL, "backend", NULL, "Netdata Backend Operations", "operations", 130630, frequency, RRDSET_TYPE_LINE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_ops, "write",     NULL, 1, 1, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_ops, "discard",   NULL, 1, 1, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_ops, "reconnect", NULL, 1, 1, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_ops, "failure",   NULL, 1, 1, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    rrddim_add(chart_ops, "read",      NULL, 1, 1, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+
+    /*
+     * this is misleading - we can only measure the time we need to send data
+     * this time is not related to the time required for the data to travel to
+     * the backend database and the time that server needed to process them
+     *
+     * issue #1432 and https://www.softlab.ntua.gr/facilities/documentation/unix/unix-socket-faq/unix-socket-faq-2.html
+     *
+    RRDSET *chart_latency = rrdset_create_localhost("netdata", "backend_latency", NULL, "backend", NULL, "Netdata Backend Latency", "ms", 130620, frequency, RRDSET_TYPE_AREA);
+    rrddim_add(chart_latency, "latency",   NULL,  1, 1000, RRD_ALGORITHM_ABSOLUTE);
+    */
+
+    RRDSET *chart_rusage = rrdset_create_localhost("netdata", "backend_thread_cpu", NULL, "backend", NULL, "NetData Backend Thread CPU usage", "milliseconds/s", 130630, frequency, RRDSET_TYPE_STACKED);
+    rrddim_add(chart_rusage, "user",   NULL, 1, 1000, RRD_ALGORITHM_INCREMENTAL);
+    rrddim_add(chart_rusage, "system", NULL, 1, 1000, RRD_ALGORITHM_INCREMENTAL);
+
+
+    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // prepare the backend main loop
+
+    info("BACKEND configured ('%s' on '%s' sending '%s' data, every %d seconds, as host '%s', with prefix '%s')", type, destination, source, frequency, hostname, prefix);
+
+    usec_t step_ut = frequency * USEC_PER_SEC;
+    time_t after = now_realtime_sec();
+    int failures = 0;
+    heartbeat_t hb;
+    heartbeat_init(&hb);
 
-    unsigned long long step = frequency * 1000000ULL;
     for(;;) {
-        unsigned long long now = time_usec();
-        unsigned long long next = now - (now % step) + step + (step / 2);
 
-        while(now < next) {
-            sleep_usec(next - now);
-            now = time_usec();
-        }
+        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // Wait for the next iteration point.
+        heartbeat_next(&hb, step_ut);
+        time_t before = now_realtime_sec();
+
+
+        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // add to the buffer the data we need to send to the backend
 
-        after = before;
-        before = (time_t)(now / 10000000ULL);
-        RRDSET *st;
         int pthreadoldcancelstate;
-        buffer_flush(b);
 
         if(unlikely(pthread_setcancelstate(PTHREAD_CANCEL_DISABLE, &pthreadoldcancelstate) != 0))
             error("Cannot set pthread cancel state to DISABLE.");
 
-        rrdhost_rdlock(&localhost);
-        for(st = localhost.rrdset_root; st ;st = st->next) {
-            pthread_rwlock_rdlock(&st->rwlock);
-            RRDDIM *rd;
-            for(rd = st->dimensions; rd ;rd = rd->next) {
-                formatter(b, prefix, &localhost, st, rd, after, before);
+        RRDHOST *host;
+        for(host = localhost; host ; host = host->next) {
+            // for each host
+
+            rrdhost_rdlock(host);
+
+            RRDSET *st;
+            for(st = host->rrdset_root; st; st = st->next) {
+                // for each chart
+
+                pthread_rwlock_rdlock(&st->rwlock);
+
+                RRDDIM *rd;
+                for(rd = st->dimensions; rd; rd = rd->next) {
+                    // for each dimension
+
+                    if(rd->last_collected_time.tv_sec >= after)
+                        chart_buffered_metrics += backend_request_formatter(b, prefix, host, (host == localhost)?hostname:host->hostname, st, rd, after, before, options);
+                }
+
+                pthread_rwlock_unlock(&st->rwlock);
             }
-            pthread_rwlock_unlock(&st->rwlock);
+
+            rrdhost_unlock(host);
         }
-        rrdhost_unlock(&localhost);
 
         if(unlikely(pthread_setcancelstate(pthreadoldcancelstate, NULL) != 0))
             error("Cannot set pthread cancel state to RESTORE (%d).", pthreadoldcancelstate);
 
+        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+        chart_buffered_bytes = (collected_number)buffer_strlen(b);
+
+        // reset the monitoring chart counters
+        chart_received_bytes =
+        chart_sent_bytes =
+        chart_sent_metrics =
+        chart_lost_metrics =
+        chart_transmission_successes =
+        chart_transmission_failures =
+        chart_data_lost_events =
+        chart_lost_bytes =
+        chart_backend_reconnects =
+        chart_backend_latency = 0;
+
         if(unlikely(netdata_exit)) break;
 
-        break;
+        //fprintf(stderr, "\nBACKEND BEGIN:\n%s\nBACKEND END\n", buffer_tostring(b)); // FIXME
+        //fprintf(stderr, "after = %lu, before = %lu\n", after, before);
+
+        // prepare for the next iteration
+        // to add incrementally data to buffer
+        after = before;
+
+        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // if we are connected, receive a response, without blocking
+
+        if(likely(sock != -1)) {
+            errno = 0;
+
+            // loop through to collect all data
+            while(sock != -1 && errno != EWOULDBLOCK) {
+                buffer_need_bytes(response, 4096);
+
+                ssize_t r = recv(sock, &response->buffer[response->len], response->size - response->len, MSG_DONTWAIT);
+                if(likely(r > 0)) {
+                    // we received some data
+                    response->len += r;
+                    chart_received_bytes += r;
+                    chart_receptions++;
+                }
+                else if(r == 0) {
+                    error("Backend '%s' closed the socket", destination);
+                    close(sock);
+                    sock = -1;
+                }
+                else {
+                    // failed to receive data
+                    if(errno != EAGAIN && errno != EWOULDBLOCK) {
+                        error("Cannot receive data from backend '%s'.", destination);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            // if we received data, process them
+            if(buffer_strlen(response))
+                backend_response_checker(response);
+        }
+
+        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // if we are not connected, connect to a backend server
+
+        if(unlikely(sock == -1)) {
+            usec_t start_ut = now_monotonic_usec();
+            const char *s = destination;
+            while(*s) {
+                const char *e = s;
+
+                // skip separators, moving both s(tart) and e(nd)
+                while(isspace(*e) || *e == ',') s = ++e;
+
+                // move e(nd) to the first separator
+                while(*e && !isspace(*e) && *e != ',') e++;
+
+                // is there anything?
+                if(!*s || s == e) break;
+
+                char buf[e - s + 1];
+                strncpyz(buf, s, e - s);
+                chart_backend_reconnects++;
+                sock = connect_to(buf, default_port, &timeout);
+                if(sock != -1) break;
+                s = e;
+            }
+            chart_backend_latency += now_monotonic_usec() - start_ut;
+        }
+
+        if(unlikely(netdata_exit)) break;
+
+        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // if we are connected, send our buffer to the backend server
+
+        if(likely(sock != -1)) {
+            size_t len = buffer_strlen(b);
+            usec_t start_ut = now_monotonic_usec();
+            int flags = 0;
+#ifdef MSG_NOSIGNAL
+            flags += MSG_NOSIGNAL;
+#endif
+
+            ssize_t written = send(sock, buffer_tostring(b), len, flags);
+            chart_backend_latency += now_monotonic_usec() - start_ut;
+            if(written != -1 && (size_t)written == len) {
+                // we sent the data successfully
+                chart_transmission_successes++;
+                chart_sent_bytes += written;
+                chart_sent_metrics = chart_buffered_metrics;
+
+                // reset the failures count
+                failures = 0;
+
+                // empty the buffer
+                buffer_flush(b);
+            }
+            else {
+                // oops! we couldn't send (all or some of the) data
+                error("Failed to write data to database backend '%s'. Willing to write %zu bytes, wrote %zd bytes. Will re-connect.", destination, len, written);
+                chart_transmission_failures++;
+
+                if(written != -1)
+                    chart_sent_bytes += written;
+
+                // increment the counter we check for data loss
+                failures++;
+
+                // close the socket - we will re-open it next time
+                close(sock);
+                sock = -1;
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            error("Failed to update database backend '%s'", destination);
+            chart_transmission_failures++;
+
+            // increment the counter we check for data loss
+            failures++;
+        }
+
+        if(failures > buffer_on_failures) {
+            // too bad! we are going to lose data
+            chart_lost_bytes += buffer_strlen(b);
+            error("Reached %d backend failures. Flushing buffers to protect this host - this results in data loss on back-end server '%s'", failures, destination);
+            buffer_flush(b);
+            failures = 0;
+            chart_data_lost_events++;
+            chart_lost_metrics = chart_buffered_metrics;
+        }
+
+        if(unlikely(netdata_exit)) break;
+
+        // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // update the monitoring charts
+
+        if(likely(chart_ops->counter_done)) rrdset_next(chart_ops);
+        rrddim_set(chart_ops, "read",         chart_receptions);
+        rrddim_set(chart_ops, "write",        chart_transmission_successes);
+        rrddim_set(chart_ops, "discard",      chart_data_lost_events);
+        rrddim_set(chart_ops, "failure",      chart_transmission_failures);
+        rrddim_set(chart_ops, "reconnect",    chart_backend_reconnects);
+        rrdset_done(chart_ops);
+
+        if(likely(chart_metrics->counter_done)) rrdset_next(chart_metrics);
+        rrddim_set(chart_metrics, "buffered", chart_buffered_metrics);
+        rrddim_set(chart_metrics, "lost",     chart_lost_metrics);
+        rrddim_set(chart_metrics, "sent",     chart_sent_metrics);
+        rrdset_done(chart_metrics);
+
+        if(likely(chart_bytes->counter_done)) rrdset_next(chart_bytes);
+        rrddim_set(chart_bytes, "buffered",   chart_buffered_bytes);
+        rrddim_set(chart_bytes, "lost",       chart_lost_bytes);
+        rrddim_set(chart_bytes, "sent",       chart_sent_bytes);
+        rrddim_set(chart_bytes, "received",   chart_received_bytes);
+        rrdset_done(chart_bytes);
+
+        /*
+        if(likely(chart_latency->counter_done)) rrdset_next(chart_latency);
+        rrddim_set(chart_latency, "latency",  chart_backend_latency);
+        rrdset_done(chart_latency);
+        */
+
+        getrusage(RUSAGE_THREAD, &thread);
+        if(likely(chart_rusage->counter_done)) rrdset_next(chart_rusage);
+        rrddim_set(chart_rusage, "user",   thread.ru_utime.tv_sec * 1000000ULL + thread.ru_utime.tv_usec);
+        rrddim_set(chart_rusage, "system", thread.ru_stime.tv_sec * 1000000ULL + thread.ru_stime.tv_usec);
+        rrdset_done(chart_rusage);
+
+        if(likely(buffer_strlen(b) == 0))
+            chart_buffered_metrics = 0;
+
+        if(unlikely(netdata_exit)) break;
     }
 
 cleanup:
-    info("BACKENDs thread exiting");
+    if(sock != -1)
+        close(sock);
+
+    buffer_free(b);
+    buffer_free(response);
+
+    info("BACKEND thread exiting");
 
+    static_thread->enabled = 0;
     pthread_exit(NULL);
     return NULL;
 }