mc-scripts/storage-net/README.md

# Computercraft Storage Network

This is an implementation of a centralized storage network architecture that uses just ComputerCraft and vanilla Minecraft.

## Deployment

The master node must have a modem attached and be within range of all slave nodes.

1. Deploy at least one slave turtle
  * The inventory it is to monitor must be above the unit
  * The unit should be able to drop below itself to push items to the master node
  * Any subsequent slaves should be placed in front of the unit
2. Set up a return system that pushes into the first slave node (can be a hopper or similar)

## Communication Protocol

Messages are sent over rednet with the protocol `ccstoragenet`.

### Packet Format

Packet format is uniform between master <-> slaves and is structured like so:

```
{
    // Metadata
    networkid:              int()
    sourceid:               int()
    sourcetype:             str()
    destid:                 int()

    // Payload
    type:                   str()

    // Optional Arguments
    itemname:               str()
    itemquant:              int()
    destination:            int()
    location:               [int(),int(),int()]

    // Dump for additional body data
    body:                   any
}
```

| Name | Required? | Type | Description
| :-- | :--: | :-- | :--
| `networkid` | true | int | The ID of the network |
| `sourceid` | true | int | The CC ID of the machine sending the packet |
| `sourcetype` | true | string | The mode of the machine sending the packet |
| `destid` | true | int | The CC ID of the intended recipient of the packet |
| `type` | true | string | An arbitrary string literal corresponding to the type of the request. Common examplse include `ping`, `query`, etc. |
| `itemname` | false | string | The unlocalized name of an item. Used for querying, crafting, movement, etc. |
| `itemquant` | false | int | Quantity of the aforementioned item |
| `destination` | false | int | The CC ID of the intended recipient of the item |
| `body` | false | any | Any additional body data per the requirements of a query, such as a detailed list of inventory contents |

### Slave Node Initialization

* The slave starts up and immediately listens for messages

### Master Node Initialization

* The master node starts up
* The master node sends a packet with type `ping`.
* The master node listens for `pong` packets from all slaves.
* The `sourceid` of all `pong` packets is recorded for statistics displays. This cached data is only used for user display. Node availability is evaluated at request time.

### Inventory Search (query)

* The sender node sends a packet with type `query`. Field `itemname` is populated with an item to query for.
* Each available slave responds with type `query`.
  * `itemname` is populated with data from the previous packet
  * `itemquantity` is populated with the quantity of that item attached to storages the slave has access to.
* The requester waits for a response from each slave that responded to the `ping` or until a configurable timeout is reached.
* Results are consumed