fix(core): Improve heartbeat handling and transport routing; forward heartbeat timeout events; include clientId routing and probe improvements

changelog.md

@@ -1,5 +1,16 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2025-08-26 - 2.1.2 - fix(core)
+Improve heartbeat handling and transport routing; forward heartbeat timeout events; include clientId routing and probe improvements
+
+- IpcChannel: add heartbeatInitialGracePeriod handling — delay heartbeat timeout checks until the grace period elapses and use a minimum check interval (>= 1000ms)
+- IpcChannel: add heartbeatGraceTimer and ensure stopHeartbeat clears the grace timer to avoid repeated events
+- IpcChannel / Client / Server: forward heartbeatTimeout events instead of only throwing when configured (heartbeatThrowOnTimeout = false) so consumers can handle timeouts via events
+- IpcClient: include clientId in registration request headers to enable proper routing on the server/transport side
+- UnixSocketTransport: track socket <-> clientId mappings, clean them up on socket close, and update mappings when __register__ or messages containing clientId are received
+- UnixSocketTransport: route messages to a specific client when headers.clientId is present (fallback to broadcasting when no target is found), and emit both clientMessage and message for parsed client messages
+- ts/index.waitForServer: use SmartIpc.createClient for probing, shorten probe register timeout, and use a slightly longer retry delay between probes for stability
+
 ## 2025-08-25 - 2.1.1 - fix(readme)
 Update README: expand docs, examples, server readiness, heartbeat, and testing utilities
 

ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@push.rocks/smartipc',
-  version: '2.1.1',
+  version: '2.1.2',
   description: 'A library for node inter process communication, providing an easy-to-use API for IPC.'
 }

ts/classes.ipcchannel.ts

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export class IpcChannel<TRequest = any, TResponse = any> extends plugins.EventEm
   private reconnectTimer?: NodeJS.Timeout;
   private heartbeatTimer?: NodeJS.Timeout;
   private heartbeatCheckTimer?: NodeJS.Timeout;
+  private heartbeatGraceTimer?: NodeJS.Timeout;
   private lastHeartbeat: number = Date.now();
   private connectionStartTime: number = Date.now();
   private isReconnecting = false;
@@ -217,16 +218,27 @@ export class IpcChannel<TRequest = any, TResponse = any> extends plugins.EventEm
       });
     }, this.options.heartbeatInterval!);
 
+    // Delay starting the check until after the grace period
+    const gracePeriod = this.options.heartbeatInitialGracePeriodMs || 0;
+    
+    if (gracePeriod > 0) {
+      // Use a timer to delay the first check
+      this.heartbeatGraceTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+        this.startHeartbeatCheck();
+      }, gracePeriod);
+    } else {
+      // No grace period, start checking immediately
+      this.startHeartbeatCheck();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Start heartbeat timeout checking (separated for grace period handling)
+   */
+  private startHeartbeatCheck(): void {
     // Check for heartbeat timeout
     this.heartbeatCheckTimer = setInterval(() => {
       const timeSinceLastHeartbeat = Date.now() - this.lastHeartbeat;
-      const timeSinceConnection = Date.now() - this.connectionStartTime;
-      const gracePeriod = this.options.heartbeatInitialGracePeriodMs || 0;
-      
-      // Skip timeout check during initial grace period
-      if (timeSinceConnection < gracePeriod) {
-        return;
-      }
       
       if (timeSinceLastHeartbeat > this.options.heartbeatTimeout!) {
         const error = new Error('Heartbeat timeout');
@@ -238,9 +250,11 @@ export class IpcChannel<TRequest = any, TResponse = any> extends plugins.EventEm
         } else {
           // Emit heartbeatTimeout event instead of error
           this.emit('heartbeatTimeout', error);
+          // Clear timers to avoid repeated events
+          this.stopHeartbeat();
         }
       }
-    }, this.options.heartbeatTimeout! / 2);
+    }, Math.max(1000, Math.floor(this.options.heartbeatTimeout! / 2)));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -256,6 +270,11 @@ export class IpcChannel<TRequest = any, TResponse = any> extends plugins.EventEm
       clearInterval(this.heartbeatCheckTimer);
       this.heartbeatCheckTimer = undefined;
     }
+
+    if (this.heartbeatGraceTimer) {
+      clearTimeout(this.heartbeatGraceTimer);
+      this.heartbeatGraceTimer = undefined;
+    }
   }
 
   /**

ts/classes.ipcclient.ts

@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ export class IpcClient extends plugins.EventEmitter {
             clientId: this.clientId,
             metadata: this.options.metadata
           },
-          { timeout: registerTimeoutMs }
+          { 
+            timeout: registerTimeoutMs,
+            headers: { clientId: this.clientId }  // Include clientId in headers for proper routing
+          }
         );
 
         if (!response.success) {
@@ -194,10 +197,20 @@ export class IpcClient extends plugins.EventEmitter {
       this.emit('disconnect', reason);
     });
 
-    this.channel.on('error', (error) => {
+    this.channel.on('error', (error: any) => {
+      // If heartbeat timeout and configured not to throw, convert to heartbeatTimeout event
+      if (error && error.message === 'Heartbeat timeout' && this.options.heartbeatThrowOnTimeout === false) {
+        this.emit('heartbeatTimeout', error);
+        return;
+      }
       this.emit('error', error);
     });
 
+    this.channel.on('heartbeatTimeout', (error) => {
+      // Forward heartbeatTimeout event (when heartbeatThrowOnTimeout is false)
+      this.emit('heartbeatTimeout', error);
+    });
+
     this.channel.on('reconnecting', (info) => {
       this.emit('reconnecting', info);
     });

ts/classes.ipcserver.ts

@@ -200,6 +200,11 @@ export class IpcServer extends plugins.EventEmitter {
       this.emit('error', error, 'server');
     });
 
+    this.primaryChannel.on('heartbeatTimeout', (error) => {
+      // Forward heartbeatTimeout event (when heartbeatThrowOnTimeout is false)
+      this.emit('heartbeatTimeout', error, 'server');
+    });
+
     // Connect the primary channel (will start as server)
     await this.primaryChannel.connect();
     
@@ -339,6 +344,19 @@ export class IpcServer extends plugins.EventEmitter {
       }
       this.emit('error', error, actualClientId);
     });
+
+    channel.on('heartbeatTimeout', (error) => {
+      // Find the actual client ID for this channel
+      let actualClientId = clientId;
+      for (const [id, client] of this.clients) {
+        if (client.channel === channel) {
+          actualClientId = id;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+      // Forward heartbeatTimeout event (when heartbeatThrowOnTimeout is false)
+      this.emit('heartbeatTimeout', error, actualClientId);
+    });
   }
 
   /**

ts/classes.transports.ts

@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ export class UnixSocketTransport extends IpcTransport {
   private socket: plugins.net.Socket | null = null;
   private server: plugins.net.Server | null = null;
   private clients: Set<plugins.net.Socket> = new Set();
+  private socketToClientId = new WeakMap<plugins.net.Socket, string>();
+  private clientIdToSocket = new Map<string, plugins.net.Socket>();
 
   /**
    * Connect as client or start as server
@@ -239,6 +241,12 @@ export class UnixSocketTransport extends IpcTransport {
 
         socket.on('close', () => {
           this.clients.delete(socket);
+          // Clean up clientId mappings
+          const clientId = this.socketToClientId.get(socket);
+          if (clientId && this.clientIdToSocket.get(clientId) === socket) {
+            this.clientIdToSocket.delete(clientId);
+          }
+          this.socketToClientId.delete(socket);
           this.emit('clientDisconnected', socket);
         });
 
@@ -307,7 +315,18 @@ export class UnixSocketTransport extends IpcTransport {
           // Parse and emit the message with socket reference
           try {
             const message = JSON.parse(messageData.toString('utf8')) as IIpcMessageEnvelope;
+            
+            // Update clientId mapping
+            const clientId = message.headers?.clientId ?? 
+              (message.type === '__register__' ? (message.payload as any)?.clientId : undefined);
+            if (clientId) {
+              this.socketToClientId.set(socket, clientId);
+              this.clientIdToSocket.set(clientId, socket);
+            }
+            
+            // Emit both events so IpcChannel can process it
             this.emit('clientMessage', message, socket);
+            this.emit('message', message);
           } catch (error: any) {
             this.emit('error', new Error(`Failed to parse message: ${error.message}`));
           }
@@ -415,27 +434,54 @@ export class UnixSocketTransport extends IpcTransport {
         }
       });
     } else if (this.server && this.clients.size > 0) {
-      // Server mode - broadcast to all clients
+      // Server mode - route by clientId if present, otherwise broadcast
-      const promises: Promise<boolean>[] = [];
+      const targetClientId = message.headers?.clientId;
       
-      for (const client of this.clients) {
+      if (targetClientId && this.clientIdToSocket.has(targetClientId)) {
-        promises.push(new Promise((resolve) => {
+        // Send to specific client
-          const success = client.write(frame, (error) => {
+        const targetSocket = this.clientIdToSocket.get(targetClientId)!;
-            if (error) {
+        if (targetSocket && !targetSocket.destroyed) {
-              resolve(false);
+          return new Promise((resolve) => {
-            } else {
+            const success = targetSocket.write(frame, (error) => {
-              resolve(true);
+              if (error) {
+                resolve(false);
+              } else {
+                resolve(true);
+              }
+            });
+
+            if (!success) {
+              targetSocket.once('drain', () => resolve(true));
             }
           });
+        } else {
+          // Socket is destroyed, remove from mappings
+          this.clientIdToSocket.delete(targetClientId);
+          return false;
+        }
+      } else {
+        // Broadcast to all clients (fallback for messages without specific target)
+        const promises: Promise<boolean>[] = [];
         
-          if (!success) {
+        for (const client of this.clients) {
-            client.once('drain', () => resolve(true));
+          promises.push(new Promise((resolve) => {
-          }
+            const success = client.write(frame, (error) => {
-        }));
+              if (error) {
+                resolve(false);
+              } else {
+                resolve(true);
+              }
+            });
+
+            if (!success) {
+              client.once('drain', () => resolve(true));
+            }
+          }));
+        }
+
+        const results = await Promise.all(promises);
+        return results.every(r => r);
       }
-
-      const results = await Promise.all(promises);
-      return results.every(r => r);
     }
 
     return false;

ts/index.ts

@@ -29,20 +29,27 @@ export class SmartIpc {
     
     while (Date.now() - startTime < timeout) {
       try {
-        // Try to connect as a temporary client
+        // Create a temporary client with proper options
-        const testClient = new IpcClient({
+        const testClient = SmartIpc.createClient({
-          id: `test-probe-${Date.now()}`,
+          id: 'test-probe',
           socketPath: options.socketPath,
-          autoReconnect: false,
+          clientId: `probe-${process.pid}-${Date.now()}`,
-          heartbeat: false
+          heartbeat: false,
+          connectRetry: {
+            enabled: false  // Don't retry, we're handling retries here
+          },
+          registerTimeoutMs: 2000  // Short timeout for quick probing
         });
         
+        // Try to connect and register with the server
         await testClient.connect();
+        
+        // Success! Clean up and return
         await testClient.disconnect();
-        return; // Server is ready
+        return;
       } catch (error) {
         // Server not ready yet, wait and retry
-        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100));
+        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 200));
       }
     }