don't allow gethostbyname(gethostname()) failure to crash ipcontroller

In some weird situations, socket.gethostbyname_ex(socket.gethostname())
can fail.  Don't let this error raise, instead assume localhost and warn
in these cases.

IPython/parallel/apps/ipcontrollerapp.py

@@ -1,425 +1,431 b''
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # encoding: utf-8
 """
 The IPython controller application.
 
 Authors:
 
 * Brian Granger
 * MinRK
 
 """
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #  Copyright (C) 2008-2011  The IPython Development Team
 #
 #  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
 #  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Imports
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 from __future__ import with_statement
 
 import os
 import socket
 import stat
 import sys
 import uuid
 
 from multiprocessing import Process
 
 import zmq
 from zmq.devices import ProcessMonitoredQueue
 from zmq.log.handlers import PUBHandler
 from zmq.utils import jsonapi as json
 
 from IPython.config.application import boolean_flag
 from IPython.core.profiledir import ProfileDir
 
 from IPython.parallel.apps.baseapp import (
     BaseParallelApplication,
     base_aliases,
     base_flags,
 )
 from IPython.utils.importstring import import_item
 from IPython.utils.traitlets import Instance, Unicode, Bool, List, Dict
 
 # from IPython.parallel.controller.controller import ControllerFactory
 from IPython.zmq.session import Session
 from IPython.parallel.controller.heartmonitor import HeartMonitor
 from IPython.parallel.controller.hub import HubFactory
 from IPython.parallel.controller.scheduler import TaskScheduler,launch_scheduler
 from IPython.parallel.controller.sqlitedb import SQLiteDB
 
 from IPython.parallel.util import signal_children, split_url, asbytes
 
 # conditional import of MongoDB backend class
 
 try:
     from IPython.parallel.controller.mongodb import MongoDB
 except ImportError:
     maybe_mongo = []
 else:
     maybe_mongo = [MongoDB]
 
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Module level variables
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 #: The default config file name for this application
 default_config_file_name = u'ipcontroller_config.py'
 
 
 _description = """Start the IPython controller for parallel computing.
 
 The IPython controller provides a gateway between the IPython engines and
 clients. The controller needs to be started before the engines and can be
 configured using command line options or using a cluster directory. Cluster
 directories contain config, log and security files and are usually located in
 your ipython directory and named as "profile_name". See the `profile`
 and `profile-dir` options for details.
 """
 
 _examples = """
 ipcontroller --ip=192.168.0.1 --port=1000  # listen on ip, port for engines
 ipcontroller --scheme=pure  # use the pure zeromq scheduler
 """
 
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # The main application
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 flags = {}
 flags.update(base_flags)
 flags.update({
     'usethreads' : ( {'IPControllerApp' : {'use_threads' : True}},
                     'Use threads instead of processes for the schedulers'),
     'sqlitedb' : ({'HubFactory' : {'db_class' : 'IPython.parallel.controller.sqlitedb.SQLiteDB'}},
                     'use the SQLiteDB backend'),
     'mongodb' : ({'HubFactory' : {'db_class' : 'IPython.parallel.controller.mongodb.MongoDB'}},
                     'use the MongoDB backend'),
     'dictdb' : ({'HubFactory' : {'db_class' : 'IPython.parallel.controller.dictdb.DictDB'}},
                     'use the in-memory DictDB backend'),
     'reuse' : ({'IPControllerApp' : {'reuse_files' : True}},
                     'reuse existing json connection files')
 })
 
 flags.update(boolean_flag('secure', 'IPControllerApp.secure',
     "Use HMAC digests for authentication of messages.",
     "Don't authenticate messages."
 ))
 aliases = dict(
     secure = 'IPControllerApp.secure',
     ssh = 'IPControllerApp.ssh_server',
     location = 'IPControllerApp.location',
 
     ident = 'Session.session',
     user = 'Session.username',
     keyfile = 'Session.keyfile',
 
     url = 'HubFactory.url',
     ip = 'HubFactory.ip',
     transport = 'HubFactory.transport',
     port = 'HubFactory.regport',
 
     ping = 'HeartMonitor.period',
 
     scheme = 'TaskScheduler.scheme_name',
     hwm = 'TaskScheduler.hwm',
 )
 aliases.update(base_aliases)
 
 
 class IPControllerApp(BaseParallelApplication):
 
     name = u'ipcontroller'
     description = _description
     examples = _examples
     config_file_name = Unicode(default_config_file_name)
     classes = [ProfileDir, Session, HubFactory, TaskScheduler, HeartMonitor, SQLiteDB] + maybe_mongo
     
     # change default to True
     auto_create = Bool(True, config=True,
         help="""Whether to create profile dir if it doesn't exist.""")
     
     reuse_files = Bool(False, config=True,
         help='Whether to reuse existing json connection files.'
     )
     secure = Bool(True, config=True,
         help='Whether to use HMAC digests for extra message authentication.'
     )
     ssh_server = Unicode(u'', config=True,
         help="""ssh url for clients to use when connecting to the Controller
         processes. It should be of the form: [user@]server[:port]. The
         Controller's listening addresses must be accessible from the ssh server""",
     )
     location = Unicode(u'', config=True,
         help="""The external IP or domain name of the Controller, used for disambiguating
         engine and client connections.""",
     )
     import_statements = List([], config=True,
         help="import statements to be run at startup.  Necessary in some environments"
     )
 
     use_threads = Bool(False, config=True,
         help='Use threads instead of processes for the schedulers',
         )
 
     # internal
     children = List()
     mq_class = Unicode('zmq.devices.ProcessMonitoredQueue')
 
     def _use_threads_changed(self, name, old, new):
         self.mq_class = 'zmq.devices.%sMonitoredQueue'%('Thread' if new else 'Process')
 
     aliases = Dict(aliases)
     flags = Dict(flags)
     
 
     def save_connection_dict(self, fname, cdict):
         """save a connection dict to json file."""
         c = self.config
         url = cdict['url']
         location = cdict['location']
         if not location:
             try:
                 proto,ip,port = split_url(url)
             except AssertionError:
                 pass
             else:
-                location = socket.gethostbyname_ex(socket.gethostname())[2][-1]
+                try:
+                    location = socket.gethostbyname_ex(socket.gethostname())[2][-1]
+                except (socket.gaierror, IndexError):
+                    self.log.warn("Could not identify this machine's IP, assuming 127.0.0.1."
+                    " You may need to specify '--location=<external_ip_address>' to help"
+                    " IPython decide when to connect via loopback.")
+                    location = '127.0.0.1'
             cdict['location'] = location
         fname = os.path.join(self.profile_dir.security_dir, fname)
         with open(fname, 'wb') as f:
             f.write(json.dumps(cdict, indent=2))
         os.chmod(fname, stat.S_IRUSR|stat.S_IWUSR)
     
     def load_config_from_json(self):
         """load config from existing json connector files."""
         c = self.config
         # load from engine config
         with open(os.path.join(self.profile_dir.security_dir, 'ipcontroller-engine.json')) as f:
             cfg = json.loads(f.read())
         key = c.Session.key = asbytes(cfg['exec_key'])
         xport,addr = cfg['url'].split('://')
         c.HubFactory.engine_transport = xport
         ip,ports = addr.split(':')
         c.HubFactory.engine_ip = ip
         c.HubFactory.regport = int(ports)
         self.location = cfg['location']
         # load client config
         with open(os.path.join(self.profile_dir.security_dir, 'ipcontroller-client.json')) as f:
             cfg = json.loads(f.read())
         assert key == cfg['exec_key'], "exec_key mismatch between engine and client keys"
         xport,addr = cfg['url'].split('://')
         c.HubFactory.client_transport = xport
         ip,ports = addr.split(':')
         c.HubFactory.client_ip = ip
         self.ssh_server = cfg['ssh']
         assert int(ports) == c.HubFactory.regport, "regport mismatch"
     
     def init_hub(self):
         c = self.config
         
         self.do_import_statements()
         reusing = self.reuse_files
         if reusing:
             try:
                 self.load_config_from_json()
             except (AssertionError,IOError):
                 reusing=False
         # check again, because reusing may have failed:
         if reusing:
             pass
         elif self.secure:
             key = str(uuid.uuid4())
             # keyfile = os.path.join(self.profile_dir.security_dir, self.exec_key)
             # with open(keyfile, 'w') as f:
             #     f.write(key)
             # os.chmod(keyfile, stat.S_IRUSR|stat.S_IWUSR)
             c.Session.key = asbytes(key)
         else:
             key = c.Session.key = b''
         
         try:
             self.factory = HubFactory(config=c, log=self.log)
             # self.start_logging()
             self.factory.init_hub()
         except:
             self.log.error("Couldn't construct the Controller", exc_info=True)
             self.exit(1)
         
         if not reusing:
             # save to new json config files
             f = self.factory
             cdict = {'exec_key' : key,
                     'ssh' : self.ssh_server,
                     'url' : "%s://%s:%s"%(f.client_transport, f.client_ip, f.regport),
                     'location' : self.location
                     }
             self.save_connection_dict('ipcontroller-client.json', cdict)
             edict = cdict
             edict['url']="%s://%s:%s"%((f.client_transport, f.client_ip, f.regport))
             self.save_connection_dict('ipcontroller-engine.json', edict)
 
     #
     def init_schedulers(self):
         children = self.children
         mq = import_item(str(self.mq_class))
         
         hub = self.factory
         # maybe_inproc = 'inproc://monitor' if self.use_threads else self.monitor_url
         # IOPub relay (in a Process)
         q = mq(zmq.PUB, zmq.SUB, zmq.PUB, b'N/A',b'iopub')
         q.bind_in(hub.client_info['iopub'])
         q.bind_out(hub.engine_info['iopub'])
         q.setsockopt_out(zmq.SUBSCRIBE, b'')
         q.connect_mon(hub.monitor_url)
         q.daemon=True
         children.append(q)
 
         # Multiplexer Queue (in a Process)
         q = mq(zmq.XREP, zmq.XREP, zmq.PUB, b'in', b'out')
         q.bind_in(hub.client_info['mux'])
         q.setsockopt_in(zmq.IDENTITY, b'mux')
         q.bind_out(hub.engine_info['mux'])
         q.connect_mon(hub.monitor_url)
         q.daemon=True
         children.append(q)
 
         # Control Queue (in a Process)
         q = mq(zmq.XREP, zmq.XREP, zmq.PUB, b'incontrol', b'outcontrol')
         q.bind_in(hub.client_info['control'])
         q.setsockopt_in(zmq.IDENTITY, b'control')
         q.bind_out(hub.engine_info['control'])
         q.connect_mon(hub.monitor_url)
         q.daemon=True
         children.append(q)
         try:
             scheme = self.config.TaskScheduler.scheme_name
         except AttributeError:
             scheme = TaskScheduler.scheme_name.get_default_value()
         # Task Queue (in a Process)
         if scheme == 'pure':
             self.log.warn("task::using pure XREQ Task scheduler")
             q = mq(zmq.XREP, zmq.XREQ, zmq.PUB, b'intask', b'outtask')
             # q.setsockopt_out(zmq.HWM, hub.hwm)
             q.bind_in(hub.client_info['task'][1])
             q.setsockopt_in(zmq.IDENTITY, b'task')
             q.bind_out(hub.engine_info['task'])
             q.connect_mon(hub.monitor_url)
             q.daemon=True
             children.append(q)
         elif scheme == 'none':
             self.log.warn("task::using no Task scheduler")
 
         else:
             self.log.info("task::using Python %s Task scheduler"%scheme)
             sargs = (hub.client_info['task'][1], hub.engine_info['task'],
                                 hub.monitor_url, hub.client_info['notification'])
             kwargs = dict(logname='scheduler', loglevel=self.log_level,
                             log_url = self.log_url, config=dict(self.config))
             if 'Process' in self.mq_class:
                 # run the Python scheduler in a Process
                 q = Process(target=launch_scheduler, args=sargs, kwargs=kwargs)
                 q.daemon=True
                 children.append(q)
             else:
                 # single-threaded Controller
                 kwargs['in_thread'] = True
                 launch_scheduler(*sargs, **kwargs)
 
     
     def save_urls(self):
         """save the registration urls to files."""
         c = self.config
         
         sec_dir = self.profile_dir.security_dir
         cf = self.factory
         
         with open(os.path.join(sec_dir, 'ipcontroller-engine.url'), 'w') as f:
             f.write("%s://%s:%s"%(cf.engine_transport, cf.engine_ip, cf.regport))
         
         with open(os.path.join(sec_dir, 'ipcontroller-client.url'), 'w') as f:
             f.write("%s://%s:%s"%(cf.client_transport, cf.client_ip, cf.regport))
         
     
     def do_import_statements(self):
         statements = self.import_statements
         for s in statements:
             try:
                 self.log.msg("Executing statement: '%s'" % s)
                 exec s in globals(), locals()
             except:
                 self.log.msg("Error running statement: %s" % s)
 
     def forward_logging(self):
         if self.log_url:
             self.log.info("Forwarding logging to %s"%self.log_url)
             context = zmq.Context.instance()
             lsock = context.socket(zmq.PUB)
             lsock.connect(self.log_url)
             handler = PUBHandler(lsock)
             self.log.removeHandler(self._log_handler)
             handler.root_topic = 'controller'
             handler.setLevel(self.log_level)
             self.log.addHandler(handler)
             self._log_handler = handler
     # #
     
     def initialize(self, argv=None):
         super(IPControllerApp, self).initialize(argv)
         self.forward_logging()
         self.init_hub()
         self.init_schedulers()
     
     def start(self):
         # Start the subprocesses:
         self.factory.start()
         child_procs = []
         for child in self.children:
             child.start()
             if isinstance(child, ProcessMonitoredQueue):
                 child_procs.append(child.launcher)
             elif isinstance(child, Process):
                 child_procs.append(child)
         if child_procs:
             signal_children(child_procs)
 
         self.write_pid_file(overwrite=True)
 
         try:
             self.factory.loop.start()
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
             self.log.critical("Interrupted, Exiting...\n")
             
 
 
 def launch_new_instance():
     """Create and run the IPython controller"""
     if sys.platform == 'win32':
         # make sure we don't get called from a multiprocessing subprocess
         # this can result in infinite Controllers being started on Windows
         # which doesn't have a proper fork, so multiprocessing is wonky
         
         # this only comes up when IPython has been installed using vanilla
         # setuptools, and *not* distribute.
         import multiprocessing
         p = multiprocessing.current_process()
         # the main process has name 'MainProcess'
         # subprocesses will have names like 'Process-1'
         if p.name != 'MainProcess':
             # we are a subprocess, don't start another Controller!
             return
     app = IPControllerApp.instance()
     app.initialize()
     app.start()
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     launch_new_instance()

IPython/parallel/util.py

@@ -1,456 +1,461 b''
 """some generic utilities for dealing with classes, urls, and serialization
 
 Authors:
 
 * Min RK
 """
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #  Copyright (C) 2010-2011  The IPython Development Team
 #
 #  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
 #  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Imports
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # Standard library imports.
 import logging
 import os
 import re
 import stat
 import socket
 import sys
 from signal import signal, SIGINT, SIGABRT, SIGTERM
 try:
     from signal import SIGKILL
 except ImportError:
     SIGKILL=None
 
 try:
     import cPickle
     pickle = cPickle
 except:
     cPickle = None
     import pickle
 
 # System library imports
 import zmq
 from zmq.log import handlers
 
 # IPython imports
 from IPython.utils.pickleutil import can, uncan, canSequence, uncanSequence
 from IPython.utils.newserialized import serialize, unserialize
 from IPython.zmq.log import EnginePUBHandler
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Classes
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 class Namespace(dict):
     """Subclass of dict for attribute access to keys."""
     
     def __getattr__(self, key):
         """getattr aliased to getitem"""
         if key in self.iterkeys():
             return self[key]
         else:
             raise NameError(key)
 
     def __setattr__(self, key, value):
         """setattr aliased to setitem, with strict"""
         if hasattr(dict, key):
             raise KeyError("Cannot override dict keys %r"%key)
         self[key] = value
     
 
 class ReverseDict(dict):
     """simple double-keyed subset of dict methods."""
     
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         dict.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
         self._reverse = dict()
         for key, value in self.iteritems():
             self._reverse[value] = key
     
     def __getitem__(self, key):
         try:
             return dict.__getitem__(self, key)
         except KeyError:
             return self._reverse[key]
     
     def __setitem__(self, key, value):
         if key in self._reverse:
             raise KeyError("Can't have key %r on both sides!"%key)
         dict.__setitem__(self, key, value)
         self._reverse[value] = key
     
     def pop(self, key):
         value = dict.pop(self, key)
         self._reverse.pop(value)
         return value
     
     def get(self, key, default=None):
         try:
             return self[key]
         except KeyError:
             return default
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Functions
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 def asbytes(s):
     """ensure that an object is ascii bytes"""
     if isinstance(s, unicode):
         s = s.encode('ascii')
     return s
 
 def validate_url(url):
     """validate a url for zeromq"""
     if not isinstance(url, basestring):
         raise TypeError("url must be a string, not %r"%type(url))
     url = url.lower()
     
     proto_addr = url.split('://')
     assert len(proto_addr) == 2, 'Invalid url: %r'%url
     proto, addr = proto_addr
     assert proto in ['tcp','pgm','epgm','ipc','inproc'], "Invalid protocol: %r"%proto
     
     # domain pattern adapted from http://www.regexlib.com/REDetails.aspx?regexp_id=391
     # author: Remi Sabourin
     pat = re.compile(r'^([\w\d]([\w\d\-]{0,61}[\w\d])?\.)*[\w\d]([\w\d\-]{0,61}[\w\d])?$')
     
     if proto == 'tcp':
         lis = addr.split(':')
         assert len(lis) == 2, 'Invalid url: %r'%url
         addr,s_port = lis
         try:
             port = int(s_port)
         except ValueError:
             raise AssertionError("Invalid port %r in url: %r"%(port, url))
         
         assert addr == '*' or pat.match(addr) is not None, 'Invalid url: %r'%url
         
     else:
         # only validate tcp urls currently
         pass
     
     return True
 
 
 def validate_url_container(container):
     """validate a potentially nested collection of urls."""
     if isinstance(container, basestring):
         url = container
         return validate_url(url)
     elif isinstance(container, dict):
         container = container.itervalues()
     
     for element in container:
         validate_url_container(element)
 
 
 def split_url(url):
     """split a zmq url (tcp://ip:port) into ('tcp','ip','port')."""
     proto_addr = url.split('://')
     assert len(proto_addr) == 2, 'Invalid url: %r'%url
     proto, addr = proto_addr
     lis = addr.split(':')
     assert len(lis) == 2, 'Invalid url: %r'%url
     addr,s_port = lis
     return proto,addr,s_port
     
 def disambiguate_ip_address(ip, location=None):
     """turn multi-ip interfaces '0.0.0.0' and '*' into connectable
     ones, based on the location (default interpretation of location is localhost)."""
     if ip in ('0.0.0.0', '*'):
-        external_ips = socket.gethostbyname_ex(socket.gethostname())[2]
-        if location is None or location in external_ips:
+        try:
+            external_ips = socket.gethostbyname_ex(socket.gethostname())[2]
+        except (socket.gaierror, IndexError):
+            # couldn't identify this machine, assume localhost
+            external_ips = []
+        if location is None or location in external_ips or not external_ips:
+            # If location is unspecified or cannot be determined, assume local
             ip='127.0.0.1'
         elif location:
             return location
     return ip
 
 def disambiguate_url(url, location=None):
     """turn multi-ip interfaces '0.0.0.0' and '*' into connectable
     ones, based on the location (default interpretation is localhost).
     
     This is for zeromq urls, such as tcp://*:10101."""
     try:
         proto,ip,port = split_url(url)
     except AssertionError:
         # probably not tcp url; could be ipc, etc.
         return url
     
     ip = disambiguate_ip_address(ip,location)
     
     return "%s://%s:%s"%(proto,ip,port)
 
 def serialize_object(obj, threshold=64e-6):
     """Serialize an object into a list of sendable buffers.
     
     Parameters
     ----------
     
     obj : object
         The object to be serialized
     threshold : float
         The threshold for not double-pickling the content.
         
     
     Returns
     -------
     ('pmd', [bufs]) :
         where pmd is the pickled metadata wrapper,
         bufs is a list of data buffers
     """
     databuffers = []
     if isinstance(obj, (list, tuple)):
         clist = canSequence(obj)
         slist = map(serialize, clist)
         for s in slist:
             if s.typeDescriptor in ('buffer', 'ndarray') or s.getDataSize() > threshold:
                 databuffers.append(s.getData())
                 s.data = None
         return pickle.dumps(slist,-1), databuffers
     elif isinstance(obj, dict):
         sobj = {}
         for k in sorted(obj.iterkeys()):
             s = serialize(can(obj[k]))
             if s.typeDescriptor in ('buffer', 'ndarray') or s.getDataSize() > threshold:
                 databuffers.append(s.getData())
                 s.data = None
             sobj[k] = s
         return pickle.dumps(sobj,-1),databuffers
     else:
         s = serialize(can(obj))
         if s.typeDescriptor in ('buffer', 'ndarray') or s.getDataSize() > threshold:
             databuffers.append(s.getData())
             s.data = None
         return pickle.dumps(s,-1),databuffers
             
         
 def unserialize_object(bufs):
     """reconstruct an object serialized by serialize_object from data buffers."""
     bufs = list(bufs)
     sobj = pickle.loads(bufs.pop(0))
     if isinstance(sobj, (list, tuple)):
         for s in sobj:
             if s.data is None:
                 s.data = bufs.pop(0)
         return uncanSequence(map(unserialize, sobj)), bufs
     elif isinstance(sobj, dict):
         newobj = {}
         for k in sorted(sobj.iterkeys()):
             s = sobj[k]
             if s.data is None:
                 s.data = bufs.pop(0)
             newobj[k] = uncan(unserialize(s))
         return newobj, bufs
     else:
         if sobj.data is None:
             sobj.data = bufs.pop(0)
         return uncan(unserialize(sobj)), bufs
 
 def pack_apply_message(f, args, kwargs, threshold=64e-6):
     """pack up a function, args, and kwargs to be sent over the wire
     as a series of buffers. Any object whose data is larger than `threshold`
     will not have their data copied (currently only numpy arrays support zero-copy)"""
     msg = [pickle.dumps(can(f),-1)]
     databuffers = [] # for large objects
     sargs, bufs = serialize_object(args,threshold)
     msg.append(sargs)
     databuffers.extend(bufs)
     skwargs, bufs = serialize_object(kwargs,threshold)
     msg.append(skwargs)
     databuffers.extend(bufs)
     msg.extend(databuffers)
     return msg
 
 def unpack_apply_message(bufs, g=None, copy=True):
     """unpack f,args,kwargs from buffers packed by pack_apply_message()
     Returns: original f,args,kwargs"""
     bufs = list(bufs) # allow us to pop
     assert len(bufs) >= 3, "not enough buffers!"
     if not copy:
         for i in range(3):
             bufs[i] = bufs[i].bytes
     cf = pickle.loads(bufs.pop(0))
     sargs = list(pickle.loads(bufs.pop(0)))
     skwargs = dict(pickle.loads(bufs.pop(0)))
     # print sargs, skwargs
     f = uncan(cf, g)
     for sa in sargs:
         if sa.data is None:
             m = bufs.pop(0)
             if sa.getTypeDescriptor() in ('buffer', 'ndarray'):
                 # always use a buffer, until memoryviews get sorted out
                 sa.data = buffer(m)
                 # disable memoryview support
                 # if copy:
                 #     sa.data = buffer(m)
                 # else:
                 #     sa.data = m.buffer
             else:
                 if copy:
                     sa.data = m
                 else:
                     sa.data = m.bytes
     
     args = uncanSequence(map(unserialize, sargs), g)
     kwargs = {}
     for k in sorted(skwargs.iterkeys()):
         sa = skwargs[k]
         if sa.data is None:
             m = bufs.pop(0)
             if sa.getTypeDescriptor() in ('buffer', 'ndarray'):
                 # always use a buffer, until memoryviews get sorted out
                 sa.data = buffer(m)
                 # disable memoryview support
                 # if copy:
                 #     sa.data = buffer(m)
                 # else:
                 #     sa.data = m.buffer
             else:
                 if copy:
                     sa.data = m
                 else:
                     sa.data = m.bytes
 
         kwargs[k] = uncan(unserialize(sa), g)
     
     return f,args,kwargs
 
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # helpers for implementing old MEC API via view.apply
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 def interactive(f):
     """decorator for making functions appear as interactively defined.
     This results in the function being linked to the user_ns as globals()
     instead of the module globals().
     """
     f.__module__ = '__main__'
     return f
 
 @interactive
 def _push(ns):
     """helper method for implementing `client.push` via `client.apply`"""
     globals().update(ns)
 
 @interactive
 def _pull(keys):
     """helper method for implementing `client.pull` via `client.apply`"""
     user_ns = globals()
     if isinstance(keys, (list,tuple, set)):
         for key in keys:
             if not user_ns.has_key(key):
                 raise NameError("name '%s' is not defined"%key)
         return map(user_ns.get, keys)
     else:
         if not user_ns.has_key(keys):
             raise NameError("name '%s' is not defined"%keys)
         return user_ns.get(keys)
 
 @interactive
 def _execute(code):
     """helper method for implementing `client.execute` via `client.apply`"""
     exec code in globals()
 
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # extra process management utilities
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 _random_ports = set()
 
 def select_random_ports(n):
     """Selects and return n random ports that are available."""
     ports = []
     for i in xrange(n):
         sock = socket.socket()
         sock.bind(('', 0))
         while sock.getsockname()[1] in _random_ports:
             sock.close()
             sock = socket.socket()
             sock.bind(('', 0))
         ports.append(sock)
     for i, sock in enumerate(ports):
         port = sock.getsockname()[1]
         sock.close()
         ports[i] = port
         _random_ports.add(port)
     return ports
 
 def signal_children(children):
     """Relay interupt/term signals to children, for more solid process cleanup."""
     def terminate_children(sig, frame):
         logging.critical("Got signal %i, terminating children..."%sig)
         for child in children:
             child.terminate()
         
         sys.exit(sig != SIGINT)
         # sys.exit(sig)
     for sig in (SIGINT, SIGABRT, SIGTERM):
         signal(sig, terminate_children)
 
 def generate_exec_key(keyfile):
     import uuid
     newkey = str(uuid.uuid4())
     with open(keyfile, 'w') as f:
         # f.write('ipython-key ')
         f.write(newkey+'\n')
     # set user-only RW permissions (0600)
     # this will have no effect on Windows
     os.chmod(keyfile, stat.S_IRUSR|stat.S_IWUSR)
 
 
 def integer_loglevel(loglevel):
     try:
         loglevel = int(loglevel)
     except ValueError:
         if isinstance(loglevel, str):
             loglevel = getattr(logging, loglevel)
     return loglevel
 
 def connect_logger(logname, context, iface, root="ip", loglevel=logging.DEBUG):
     logger = logging.getLogger(logname)
     if any([isinstance(h, handlers.PUBHandler) for h in logger.handlers]):
         # don't add a second PUBHandler
         return
     loglevel = integer_loglevel(loglevel)
     lsock = context.socket(zmq.PUB)
     lsock.connect(iface)
     handler = handlers.PUBHandler(lsock)
     handler.setLevel(loglevel)
     handler.root_topic = root
     logger.addHandler(handler)
     logger.setLevel(loglevel)
 
 def connect_engine_logger(context, iface, engine, loglevel=logging.DEBUG):
     logger = logging.getLogger()
     if any([isinstance(h, handlers.PUBHandler) for h in logger.handlers]):
         # don't add a second PUBHandler
         return
     loglevel = integer_loglevel(loglevel)
     lsock = context.socket(zmq.PUB)
     lsock.connect(iface)
     handler = EnginePUBHandler(engine, lsock)
     handler.setLevel(loglevel)
     logger.addHandler(handler)
     logger.setLevel(loglevel)
     return logger
 
 def local_logger(logname, loglevel=logging.DEBUG):
     loglevel = integer_loglevel(loglevel)
     logger = logging.getLogger(logname)
     if any([isinstance(h, logging.StreamHandler) for h in logger.handlers]):
         # don't add a second StreamHandler
         return
     handler = logging.StreamHandler()
     handler.setLevel(loglevel)
     logger.addHandler(handler)
     logger.setLevel(loglevel)
     return logger