I spent several hours tracing in production (updating the code a dozen times with extra logging) to identify the actual path the lemmy_server code uses for outbound federation of votes to subscribed servers.

Major popular servers, Beehaw, Leemy.world, Lemmy.ml - have a large number of instance servers subscribing to their communities to get copies of every post/comment. Comment votes/likes are the most common activity, and it is proposed that during the PERFORMANCE CRISIS that outbound vote/like sharing be turned off by these overwhelmed servers.

pull request for draft:

https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy/compare/main...RocketDerp:lemmy_comment_votes_nofed1:no_federation_of_votes_outbound0

EDIT: LEMMY_SKIP_FEDERATE_VOTES environment variable

  • RoundSparrowOPM
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    1 year ago

    I hacked in a bunch of extra logging to the latest Lemmy code to follow in production how votes flow from local to outbound. I tagged each log with “zebratrace” and these locations proved to be the key points to watch in the system log:

    diff --git a/crates/api/src/comment/like.rs b/crates/api/src/comment/like.rs
    index 6c4bdebc7..063249a7e 100644
    --- a/crates/api/src/comment/like.rs
    +++ b/crates/api/src/comment/like.rs
    @@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use lemmy_db_schema::{
     };
     use lemmy_db_views::structs::{CommentView, LocalUserView};
     use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
    +use tracing::warn;
     
     #[async_trait::async_trait(?Send)]
     impl Perform for CreateCommentLike {
    @@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ impl Perform for CreateCommentLike {
       #[tracing::instrument(skip(context))]
       async fn perform(&self, context: &Data<LemmyContext>) -> Result<CommentResponse, LemmyError> {
         let data: &CreateCommentLike = self;
    +    // Here we are with that database read on every single like for site data.
         let local_site = LocalSite::read(context.pool()).await?;
         let local_user_view = local_user_view_from_jwt(&data.auth, context).await?;
     
    @@ -62,16 +64,20 @@ impl Perform for CreateCommentLike {
         // Remove any likes first
         let person_id = local_user_view.person.id;
     
    +    // does database transaction, despite next one doing update condition?
         CommentLike::remove(context.pool(), person_id, comment_id).await?;
     
         // Only add the like if the score isnt 0
         let do_add = like_form.score != 0 && (like_form.score == 1 || like_form.score == -1);
         if do_add {
    +      // this does database transaction. it await for result
           CommentLike::like(context.pool(), &like_form)
             .await
             .map_err(|e| LemmyError::from_error_message(e, "couldnt_like_comment"))?;
         }
     
    +    warn!("zebratrace100 vote do_add {:?}", do_add);
    +
         build_comment_response(
           context,
           comment_id,
    diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/community/announce.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/community/announce.rs
    index 116b02726..62af17a1a 100644
    --- a/crates/apub/src/activities/community/announce.rs
    +++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/community/announce.rs
    @@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use lemmy_api_common::context::LemmyContext;
     use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
     use serde_json::Value;
     use url::Url;
    +use tracing::warn;
     
     #[async_trait::async_trait]
     impl ActivityHandler for RawAnnouncableActivities {
    @@ -93,6 +94,11 @@ impl AnnounceActivity {
       ) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
         let announce = AnnounceActivity::new(object.clone(), community, context)?;
         let inboxes = community.get_follower_inboxes(context).await?;
    +
    +    // example, local community with remote subscribers generates this: zebratrace500 like activity inboxes [Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmy.ml")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }, Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmy.management")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }, Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmy.austinite.online")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }, Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmywinks.xyz")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }, Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmy.asc6.org")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }]
    +    // example, local community with no remote subscribers, generates this: zebratrace500 like activity inboxes []
    +    warn!("zebratrace500 like activity inboxes {:?}", inboxes);
    +
         send_lemmy_activity(context, announce, community, inboxes.clone(), false).await?;
     
         // Pleroma and Mastodon can't handle activities like Announce/Create/Page. So for
    diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/community/mod.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/community/mod.rs
    index 010bad4f4..c539b10e0 100644
    --- a/crates/apub/src/activities/community/mod.rs
    +++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/community/mod.rs
    @@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use lemmy_api_common::context::LemmyContext;
     use lemmy_db_schema::source::person::PersonFollower;
     use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
     use url::Url;
    +use tracing::warn;
     
     pub mod announce;
     pub mod collection_add;
    @@ -51,14 +52,33 @@ pub(crate) async fn send_activity_in_community(
         );
       }
     
    +  warn!("zebratrace300 send_activity_in_community vote local? {:?} act {:?}", community.local, activity);
    +
       if community.local {
         // send directly to community followers
         // see comments on GitHub
         AnnounceActivity::send(activity.clone().try_into()?, community, context).await?;
       } else {
         // send to the community, which will then forward to followers
         inboxes.push(community.shared_inbox_or_inbox());
       }
     
    +  // example output, remote homed community: zebratrace301 send_activity_in_community vote inboxes [Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("beehaw.org")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }]
    +  // example output, local homed community with no remote followers: zebratrace301 send_activity_in_community vote inboxes []
    +  // same output even when local community has a remote follower: zebratrace301 send_activity_in_community vote inboxes []
    +  warn!("zebratrace301 send_activity_in_community vote inboxes {:?}", inboxes);
    +
       send_lemmy_activity(context, activity.clone(), actor, inboxes, false).await?;
    +
    +  warn!("zebratrace302 send_activity_in_community after");
    +
       Ok(())
     }
    diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/mod.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/mod.rs
    index 8bae05577..1f680c516 100644
    --- a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/mod.rs
    +++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/mod.rs
    @@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
     
     pub mod undo_vote;
     pub mod vote;
    +use tracing::warn;
     
     #[async_trait::async_trait]
     impl SendActivity for CreatePostLike {
    @@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ impl SendActivity for CreateCommentLike {
       }
     }
     
    +// this send_activity is for votes, look at the score parameter
     async fn send_activity(
       object_id: ObjectId<PostOrComment>,
       community_id: CommunityId,
    @@ -89,6 +91,10 @@ async fn send_activity(
         .await?
         .into();
     
    +  // production testing reveals that this code is hit with a user doing a vote on local or federated comment.
    +  // production testing reveals that when a local user votes, even in a community with zero remote subscribers, this has a hefty &actor data payload. which is just the user who did the vote... lots of overhead to vote on a comment?
    +  warn!("zebratrace200 send_activity vote {:?}", &actor);
    +
       // score of 1 means upvote, -1 downvote, 0 undo a previous vote
       if score != 0 {
         let vote = Vote::new(object_id, &actor, &community, score.try_into()?, context)?;
    diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/undo_vote.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/undo_vote.rs
    index bcb8ee406..44da390f3 100644
    --- a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/undo_vote.rs
    +++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/undo_vote.rs
    @@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use crate::{
       },
       PostOrComment,
     };
    +// Ok, federation is involved here in this class somehow
     use activitypub_federation::{
       config::Data,
       kinds::activity::UndoType,
    diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/vote.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/vote.rs
    index 7f36ed471..ee72563ed 100644
    --- a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/vote.rs
    +++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/vote.rs
    @@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use crate::{
       },
       PostOrComment,
     };
    +// Ok, federation is involved somehow here
     use activitypub_federation::{
       config::Data,
       fetch::object_id::ObjectId,
    @@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ use lemmy_api_common::context::LemmyContext;
     use lemmy_db_schema::source::local_site::LocalSite;
     use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
     use url::Url;
    +use tracing::warn;
     
     impl Vote {
       pub(in crate::activities::voting) fn new(
    @@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ impl ActivityHandler for Vote {
       #[tracing::instrument(skip_all)]
       async fn verify(&self, context: &Data<LemmyContext>) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
         let community = self.community(context).await?;
    +    warn!("zebratrace000 vote verify {:?}", &self.actor);
         verify_person_in_community(&self.actor, &community, context).await?;
         let enable_downvotes = LocalSite::read(context.pool())
           .await
    @@ -70,6 +73,8 @@ impl ActivityHandler for Vote {
     
       #[tracing::instrument(skip_all)]
       async fn receive(self, context: &Data<LemmyContext>) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
    +    // based on testing with a client locally, this code path is only used for federatio incoming votes?
    +    warn!("zebratrace000 vote receive {:?}", &self.id);
         insert_activity(&self.id, &self, false, true, context).await?;
         let actor = self.actor.dereference(context).await?;
         let object = self.object.dereference(context).await?;
    diff --git a/crates/apub/src/objects/community.rs b/crates/apub/src/objects/community.rs
    index 17476e9f8..e437c61ad 100644
    --- a/crates/apub/src/objects/community.rs
    +++ b/crates/apub/src/objects/community.rs
    @@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ use lemmy_utils::{
     };
     use std::ops::Deref;
     use tracing::debug;
    +use tracing::warn;
     use url::Url;
     
     #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
    @@ -207,6 +208,8 @@ impl ApubCommunity {
           })
           .collect();
     
    +    warn!("zebratrace600 is every single federated outbound Like hitting this poiint?");
    +
         Ok(inboxes)
       }
     }