# Dora Rs Dora Dora

> Dora Project Patterns

- Skill: `tomevault-io/dora-rs-dora-dora` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/dora-rs-dora-dora`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/dora-rs-dora-dora/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/dora-rs-dora-dora

---


# Dora Project Patterns

## Architecture Overview

```
CLI (WS:6013) --> Coordinator --> Daemon(s) --> Nodes / Operators
                  (orchestrate)   (per machine)  (user code)
```

- **Coordinator**: Single orchestrator, persistent state (in-memory or redb), label-based node scheduling
- **Daemon**: Per-machine process manager, owns shared memory regions, TCP/Unix sockets to nodes
- **Node**: Separate OS process, communicates via shared memory (>4KB) or TCP (small msgs)
- **Operator**: In-process (runtime), no IPC overhead

## Message Protocol

All inter-component messages are in `libraries/message/src/`. Key types:

| Message | Direction | File | Purpose |
|---------|-----------|------|---------|
| `DaemonRequest` / `DaemonReply` | Node <-> Daemon | `node_to_daemon.rs` / `daemon_to_node.rs` | Data send/recv, subscribe, register |
| `DaemonCoordinatorEvent` | Coordinator -> Daemon | `coordinator_to_daemon.rs` | Spawn/stop nodes, reload |
| `CoordinatorRequest` | Daemon -> Coordinator | `daemon_to_coordinator.rs` | Status, logs, node results |
| `InterDaemonEvent` | Daemon <-> Daemon | `daemon_to_daemon.rs` | Cross-machine message routing |

Messages are versioned. Version check happens at connection init.

## Node Lifecycle

1. Coordinator sends `SpawnNode` to target Daemon (selected by labels)
2. Daemon creates `RunningNode` with `RuntimeConfig` passed as env var (JSON)
3. Node process starts, connects back to Daemon via TCP/Unix socket
4. Node registers inputs/outputs, subscribes to data channels
5. Data flows via bounded `flume` channels internally, shared memory for large payloads
6. On stop: soft kill (SIGTERM) -> grace period -> hard kill (SIGKILL)

## Key Abstractions

```rust
// Node API (apis/rust/node/src/node/mod.rs)
pub struct DoraNode { /* ... */ }
impl DoraNode {
    pub fn init(node_config: NodeConfig) -> NodeResult<(Self, EventStream)>;
    pub fn init_from_env() -> NodeResult<(Self, EventStream)>;
    pub fn init_from_node_id(node_id: NodeId) -> NodeResult<(Self, EventStream)>;
    pub fn init_flexible(node_id: NodeId) -> NodeResult<(Self, EventStream)>;
    pub fn init_interactive() -> NodeResult<(Self, EventStream)>;

    pub fn send_output(&mut self, output_id: DataId, parameters: MetadataParameters, data: impl Array) -> NodeResult<()>;
    pub fn send_service_request(&mut self, output_id: DataId, parameters: MetadataParameters, data: impl Array) -> NodeResult<String>;  // returns auto-generated request_id
    pub fn send_service_response(&mut self, output_id: DataId, parameters: MetadataParameters, data: impl Array) -> NodeResult<()>;
}

// Operator API (apis/rust/operator/src/lib.rs)
pub trait DoraOperator: Default {
    fn on_event(&mut self, event: &Event, output_sender: &mut DoraOutputSender) -> Result<DoraStatus, String>;
}
```

## Data Format

- **Apache Arrow** columnar format throughout (zero serialization)
- Messages >4KB use shared memory (4 named regions per node)
- Messages <4KB use TCP directly
- Python bindings use `arrow::pyarrow` for zero-copy across FFI

## Dataflow YAML Schema

```yaml
nodes:
  my-node:
    path: path/to/executable        # or "shell:" or Python script
    inputs:
      input_name: other-node/output  # Simple form
      input_with_opts:               # Extended form
        source: other-node/output
        queue_size: 10
        queue_policy: drop_oldest    # drop_oldest (default) | backpressure
    outputs:
      - output_name
    env:
      KEY: value
    args: "-v --some-flag foo"       # String, not a list
    restart_policy: on-failure       # never | on-failure | always
    health_check_timeout: 2.0        # seconds (per node)
    _unstable_deploy:                # unstable, may change
      machine: gpu-server
```

Top-level descriptor fields:
```yaml
health_check_interval: 5.0           # seconds (global)
```

**Virtual inputs** (daemon-generated):
- `dora/timer/secs/<N>` or `dora/timer/millis/<N>`
- `dora/logs`, `dora/logs/<level>`, `dora/logs/<level>/<node>`

## Communication Patterns

### Topic (Default)
Standard pub/sub. Node sends output, all subscribers receive.

### Service (Request/Reply)
```rust
// Client: request_id is auto-generated and returned
let request_id = node.send_service_request(
    "service_output".into(),
    MetadataParameters::default(),
    data,
)?;

// Server: pass through request_id from incoming metadata
if let Some(req_id) = metadata.get(dora_message::metadata::REQUEST_ID) {
    let mut params = MetadataParameters::default();
    params.insert(REQUEST_ID.to_string(), req_id.clone());
    node.send_service_response("response_output".into(), params, result)?;
}
```

### Action (Goal/Feedback/Result)
Uses `goal_id` and `goal_status` metadata keys. Supports cancellation.

## State & Parameters

- **Coordinator Store**: Persistent state via `CoordinatorStore` trait (in-memory or redb backend)
- **Parameters**: Key-value per dataflow, propagated via `SetParam`/`GetParam`/`DeleteParam`
- **Distributed state**: UHLC (hybrid logical clock) for distributed causality
- **Node state**: `restart_count`, `last_activity` (atomic), `pid`
- **Fault tolerance**: `FaultToleranceStats` with atomic counters

## ID Conventions

- **DataflowId**: UUID v7 (sortable, timestamp-based)
- **NodeId**: String identifier from YAML
- **Timestamps**: UHLC for cross-machine ordering
- Metadata keys defined in `libraries/message/`: `REQUEST_ID`, `GOAL_ID`, `GOAL_STATUS`, `SESSION_ID`

## Error Handling Patterns

- `eyre::Result` for application errors (with `.context()` chains)
- `NodeErrorCause` enum: `GraceDuration`, `Cascading`, `FailedToSpawn`, `Other`
- Restart policies with exponential backoff (configurable window)
- Cascading error tracking: which node caused which failure

## Testing Conventions

| Change Type | Test Tier | Location |
|------------|-----------|----------|
| Library function | Unit `#[cfg(test)]` | Same file |
| Coordinator/Daemon behavior | Integration | `binaries/coordinator/tests/` |
| CLI command | Smoke (networked) | `tests/example-smoke.rs` |
| Dataflow feature | Smoke (both modes) | `tests/example-smoke.rs` |
| Bug fix | Regression | Whichever tier reproduces it |

**Smoke test helpers**:
- `run_smoke_test(name, yaml, timeout)` -- networked mode (up/start/poll/stop/down)
- `run_smoke_test_local(name, yaml, stop_after_secs)` -- local mode (run --stop-after)

**Integration test setup**: `setup_integration_testing()` with JSON inputs via `DORA_TEST_WITH_INPUTS` env var.

## Build Commands (Quick Reference)

```bash
# Build (exclude Python)
cargo build --all --exclude dora-node-api-python --exclude dora-operator-api-python --exclude dora-ros2-bridge-python

# Test (exclude Python + examples)
cargo test --all --exclude dora-node-api-python --exclude dora-operator-api-python --exclude dora-ros2-bridge-python --exclude dora-cli-api-python --exclude dora-examples

# Single crate
cargo test -p dora-core

# Pre-commit (mandatory)
cargo fmt --all -- --check
cargo clippy --all --exclude dora-node-api-python --exclude dora-operator-api-python --exclude dora-ros2-bridge-python -- -D warnings
```

## PyO3 Bindings

- Python Node API: `apis/python/node/` -- `#[pyclass] Node` with iterator protocol
- Python Operator API: `apis/python/operator/` -- type conversion utilities
- Python CLI API: `apis/python/cli/` -- `build()`, `run()`, `start_runtime()`
- Uses PyO3 0.28 with `eyre`, `abi3-py37`, `multiple-pymethods` features
- Arrow arrays passed zero-copy via `arrow::pyarrow` FFI
- GIL released during blocking Rust ops (`py.detach()`)

## Key Conventions

- Rust edition 2024, MSRV 1.85.0
- Workspace version 0.2.0 (all crates share it)
- `flume` bounded MPSC for internal event routing
- `tokio` async runtime with full features
- `Zenoh` for distributed cross-machine pub/sub
- Zero-copy threshold: 4KB
- Fire-and-forget for logging/metrics (never block data path)

---
> Source: [dora-rs/dora](https://github.com/dora-rs/dora) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).
<!-- tomevault:4.0:skill_md:2026-06-25 -->