c - "Server" to "Server" ZeroMQ communication

Question

I want to build a system that has the following architecture:

+------------------+          +------------------+
| App1. 0mq client | <------> | App2. 0mq server |
+------------------+          +------------------+

where
App2 is a ZeroMQ server and it's a black box,
and
App1 is a ZeroMQ client, but it is in fact a frontend server. The frontend server will process some requests from the clients and then will communicate with the App2 server.

Given that:

1. At any point in time any of the "servers" can go down or be restarted.
2. I want to start any of the apps, even if the other app is not running.
3. If App1 is started when App2 is down, I want to know when App2 is up.

Is it possible to implement 3. only using ZeroMQ builtins, or do I need to use a different mechanism to notify App1 that App2 is up ?

Answer 1

Item 3: using pure ZeroMQ built-ins

Fig.1: Why it is wrong to use a naive REQ/REP

               XTRN_RISK_OF_FSA_DEADLOCKED ~ {  NETWORK_LoS
                                         :   || NETWORK_LoM
                                         :   || SIG_KILL( App2 )
                                         :   || ...
                                         :      }
                                         :
[App1]      ![ZeroMQ]                    :    [ZeroMQ]              ![App2] 
code-control! code-control               :    [code-control         ! code-control
+===========!=======================+    :    +=====================!===========+
|           ! ZMQ                   |    :    |              ZMQ    !           |
|           ! REQ-FSA               |    :    |              REP-FSA!           |
|           !+------+BUF> .connect()|    v    |.bind()  +BUF>------+!           |
|           !|W2S   |___|>tcp:>---------[*]-----(tcp:)--|___|W2R   |!           |
|     .send()>-o--->|___|           |         |         |___|-o---->.recv()     |
| ___/      !| ^  | |___|           |         |         |___| ^  | |!      \___ |
| REQ       !| |  v |___|           |         |         |___| |  v |!       REP |
| \___.recv()<----o-|___|           |         |         |___|<---o-<.send()___/ |
|           !|   W2R|___|           |         |         |___|   W2S|!           |
|           !+------<BUF+           |         |         <BUF+------+!           |
|           !                       |         |                     !           |
|           ! ZMQ                   |         |   ZMQ               !           |
|           ! REQ-FSA               |         |   REP-FSA           !           |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DEADLOCKED in W2R ~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~ DEADLOCKED in W2R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|           ! ///////////|         |///////////!           |
|           ! ///////////|         |//////////!           |
+===========!=======================+         +=====================!===========+

---

Fig.2: How to implement requirement Item 3, using pure ZeroMQ builtins.

App1.PULL.recv( ZMQ.NOBLOCK ) and App1.PULL.poll( 0 ) are obvious

[App1]      ![ZeroMQ]
code-control! code-control           
+===========!=======================+
|           !                       |
|           !+----------+           |         
|     .poll()|   W2R ___|.bind()    |         
| ____.recv()<----o-|___|-(tcp:)--------O     
| PULL      !|      |___|           |   :   
|           !|      |___|           |   :   
|           !|      |___|           |   :   
|           !+------<BUF+           |   :     
|           !                       |   :                           ![App2]
|           !                       |   :     [ZeroMQ]              ! code-control
|           !                       |   :     [code-control         ! once gets started ...
|           !                       |   :     +=====================!===========+
|           !                       |   :     |                     !           |
|           !                       |   :     |         +----------+!           |
|           !                       |   :     |         |___       |!           |
|           !                       |   :     |         |___| <--o-<.send()____ |
|           !                       |   :<<-------<tcp:<|___|   W2S|!      PUSH |
|           !                       |   :    .connect() <BUF+------+!           |
|           !                       |   :     |                     !           |
|           !                       |   :     |                     !           |
+===========!=======================+   :     +=====================!===========+