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.. _module-pw_target_runner:
----------------
pw_target_runner
----------------
The target runner module implements a gRPC server designed to run executables
in parallel. These executables may be run directly on the host, or flashed to
one or more attached targets.
Overview
--------
The target runner server is responsible for processing requests to distribute
executables among a pool of workers that run in parallel. This allows things
like unit tests to be run across multiple devices simultaneously, greatly
reducing the overall time it takes to run a collection of tests.
Additionally, the server allows many executables to be queued up at once and
scheduled across available devices, making it possible to automatically run unit
tests from a Ninja build after code is updated. This integrates nicely with the
``pw watch`` command to re-run all affected unit tests after modifying code.
The target runner is implemented as a library in various programming languages.
This library provides the core gRPC server and a mechanism through which worker
routines can be registered. Code using the library instantiates a server with
some custom workers for the desired target to run passed executables.
The ``pw_target_runner`` module also provides a standalone
``pw_target_runner_server`` program which runs the server with configurable
workers that launch external processes to execute passed binaries. This
program should be sufficient to quickly get unit tests running in a simple
setup, such as multiple devices plugged into a development machine.
Standalone executable
---------------------
This section describes how to use the ``pw_target_runner_server`` program to
set up a simple unit test server with workers.
Configuration
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The standalone server is configured from a file written in Protobuf text format
containing a ``pw.target_runner.ServerConfig`` message as defined in
``//pw_target_runner/pw_target_runner_protos/exec_server_config.proto``.
At least one ``worker`` message must be specified. Each of the workers refers to
a script or program which is invoked with the path to an executable file as a
positional argument. Other arguments provided to the program must be options/
switches.
For example, the config file below defines two workers, each connecting to an
STM32F429I Discovery board with a specified serial number.
**server_config.txt**
.. code:: text
runner {
command: "stm32f429i_disc1_unit_test_runner"
args: "--openocd-config"
args: "targets/stm32f429i-disc1/py/stm32f429i_disc1_utils/openocd_stm32f4xx.cfg"
args: "--serial"
args: "066DFF575051717867013127"
}
runner {
command: "stm32f429i_disc1_unit_test_runner"
args: "--openocd-config"
args: "targets/stm32f429i-disc1/py/stm32f429i_disc1_utils/openocd_stm32f4xx.cfg"
args: "--serial"
args: "0667FF494849887767196023"
}
Running the server
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
To start the standalone server, run the ``pw_target_runner_server`` program and
point it to your config file.
.. code:: text
$ pw_target_runner_server -config server_config.txt -port 8080
Sending requests
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
To request the server to run an executable, run the ``pw_target_runner_client``,
specifying the path to the executable through a ``-binary`` option.
.. code:: text
$ pw_target_runner_client -host localhost -port 8080 -binary /path/to/my/test.elf
This command blocks until the executable has finished running. Multiple
requests can be scheduled in parallel; the server will distribute them among its
available workers.
Library APIs
------------
To use the target runner library in your own code, refer to one of its
programming language APIs below.
.. toctree::
:maxdepth: 1
go/docs