## Summary
`/api/nodes` scans every node row into a map, enriches it (hash size,
multi-byte capability, relay info, usefulness scores, declared scope)
and encodes the page on **every** request. On one production instance (2
vCPU / 2 GB) that was **95 GB of allocation in 45 hours, about 6.7 MB
per request and a quarter of all bytes allocated**, on a process where
garbage collection was 87% of CPU.
The queries repeat heavily. In that instance's nginx log for one day,
three pages of one query (`limit=500&offset=0|500|1000&lastHeard=30d`)
were 10,000 of the 14,053 `/api/nodes` requests.
This PR keeps the encoded response for 15 s per distinct query:
- `handleNodes` serves the cached bytes when it can; otherwise it builds
through `buildNodesResponse` (the old handler body, unchanged apart from
returning instead of writing) inside a singleflight, so concurrent
identical misses share one build.
- **Cache key:** blacklist generation | hidden-prefix generation |
sorted query string. Parameter order does not split the cache, and any
change to either filter list misses it at once. This is the pattern
`/api/nodes/{pubkey}/reach` already uses (#1629).
- `setGeoFilter` drops the cache, so a geo-filter change through the
admin endpoint shows immediately.
- **Bounded twice:** by `maxCacheEntries` (256) like the other keyed
caches, and by bytes, since a full-list response is several MB. Expired
entries are dropped on every insert, the total is capped at 32 MB, and a
single response over 8 MB is not cached.
- **15 s** matches the relay/usefulness caches the response is built
from (#1257); the client already keeps its own node list for 90 s.
Related to #2146: `/api/nodes` is in its endpoint table (144 s max on
one instance). This PR reduces how often the handler runs and allocates,
not the SQL wait the issue is about, so it is not a fix for it.
## Performance
### Go benchmarks
1,100 nodes, half repeaters, 10 runs each:
```
cpu: AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT 6-Core Processor
│ master │ this PR │
│ sec/op │ sec/op vs base │
HandleNodesRepeated-12 5991.14µ ± 3% 41.21µ ± 7% -99.31% (p=0.000 n=10)
HandleNodesUnique-12 6.010m ± 2% 5.967m ± 0% ~ (p=0.393 n=10)
│ B/op │ B/op vs base │
HandleNodesRepeated-12 1611.0Ki ± 1% 240.9Ki ± 0% -85.05% (p=0.000 n=10)
HandleNodesUnique-12 1.566Mi ± 1% 1.753Mi ± 1% +11.96% (p=0.000 n=10)
```
`Repeated` is one query asked over and over (the production pattern).
`Unique` makes every request a different query, so nothing is served
from cache: the time is unchanged, and it allocates 12% more because the
body is now built in memory so it can be kept.
### Expected hit rate
Replaying that day's 14,053 `/api/nodes` requests through a cache of
each lifetime:
| TTL | served from cache |
|---|---|
| 5 s | 39% |
| 10 s | 47% |
| **15 s** | **52%** |
| 30 s | 58% |
| 60 s | 69% |
### Staging A/B
The same 30 minutes of real production API traffic (5,640 requests, 279
of them `/api/nodes`), replayed at 2x on a staging host against a copy
of a production database, on `master` and on this branch:
| `/api/nodes` | master | this PR |
|---|---|---|
| p50 | 47.1 ms | **31.0 ms** |
| p95 | 165.4 ms | **114.4 ms** |
| max | 759.9 ms | 321.7 ms |
| allocated by `handleNodes` during the replay | 1,000 MB | **594 MB
(-41%)** |
| total allocated by the process | 3,704 MB | 3,349 MB (-10%) |
The -41% matches the expectation from the hit rate and the miss-path
cost: about 0.48 × 1.12 + 0.52 × 0.15 ≈ 0.61 of the old allocation.
## Tests
- Red commit `ab33bc29`: a test-only build hook, the tests and both
benchmarks. Three fail on `master`: identical queries are built once,
reordered parameters share an entry, ten concurrent misses share one
build. Three more guard against over-caching and pass on both commits:
different queries are built separately, an expired entry is rebuilt, a
geo-filter change drops entries.
- Green commit `ea0d1cf2`: the cache, plus
`TestHandleNodes_FilterListChangesMissCache` (hidden-prefix and
blacklist changes miss the cache) and `TestNodesCache_BoundedByBytes`
(stays under 32 MB; an oversized response is not cached).
- One existing test changed: `TestHandleNodesRegionUsesStore` already
clears the store's own 30 s region cache by hand before its second
request; it now clears this cache on the same line.
`TestHiddenNamePrefix_1181_NodesList`, which changes the hidden-prefix
list between requests, passes unchanged because the generation is in the
key.
- `go test -race` on the new tests passes. `make test`: 16 of 16 modules
pass.
## Review notes
- The response depends only on the query string and server state, not on
who is asking (no auth or header-dependent output in the handler), so a
shared cache is safe.
- `writeJSONBytes` writes the cached bytes with the same `Content-Type`
and status as `writeJSON`; the body has the trailing newline
`json.Encoder` adds, so output is byte-identical.
- No new `map[string]interface{}` added (the existing node maps are
unchanged; converting them to a struct is a separate, larger job).
- The TTL and byte budget are constants. They could be operator settings
later (AGENTS.md rule 8); not added here.
## SonarLint
SonarQube Community rules (the SonarLint engine) were run on the files
this PR touches, and only issues on lines it adds are listed.
- **S3776 on `buildNodesResponse`:** complexity 91. That is upstream's
existing handler body moved unchanged (it is also 91 on `master`); this
PR makes the handler itself simpler.
- **Fixed** in `25d40950`: the test hook moved to the cache-miss path,
so the builder stays identical to the old body rather than one point
above it. Splitting that function is a refactor of its own.
## Checked against the repo rules
- Rebased onto `master` (`673442cc`). Each red commit was re-run and
still fails on its assertions; each green commit passes (TDD.md).
- `make test`: all 16 modules pass. Frontend suites: all pass except
`test-issue-1956-release-routing.js`, which needs CI's `GITHUB_REF_NAME`
and fails the same way on `master` locally (#2160 addresses it).
- No private data: test fixtures and examples use the codes the existing
tests use (SJC/SFO/LAX, `#be`-style scopes).
- No new `map[string]interface{}`, no hard-coded colours. `git add` was
explicit, and there is one logical change per commit.
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
https://claude.ai/code/session_01KaR4xu8gVykQBkH8yG8m6H
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
CoreScope
High-performance mesh network analyzer powered by Go. Sub-millisecond packet queries, ~300 MB memory for 56K+ packets, real-time WebSocket broadcast, full channel decryption.
Self-hosted, open-source MeshCore packet analyzer. Collects MeshCore packets via MQTT, decodes them in real time, and presents a full web UI with live packet feed, interactive maps, channel chat, packet tracing, and per-node analytics.
⚡ Performance
The Go backend serves all 40+ API endpoints from an in-memory packet store with 5 indexes (hash, txID, obsID, observer, node). SQLite is for persistence only — reads never touch disk.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Packet queries | < 1 ms (in-memory) |
| All API endpoints | < 100 ms |
| Memory (56K packets) | ~300 MB (vs 1.3 GB on Node.js) |
| WebSocket broadcast | Real-time to all connected browsers |
| Channel decryption | AES-128-ECB with rainbow table |
| GOMEMLIMIT (memory-constrained hosts) | set to ≥1.5× working set (e.g. 1536 MiB on a 2 GB Pi for a ~1 GB store). Lower values trigger a GC death-spiral. Configure via the GOMEMLIMIT env var or runtime.maxMemoryMB in config.json; env wins. Applies to both server and ingestor. See #1010. |
See PERFORMANCE.md for full benchmarks.
✨ Features
📡 Live Trace Map
Real-time animated map with packet route visualization, VCR-style playback controls, and a retro LCD clock. Replay the last 24 hours of mesh activity, scrub through the timeline, or watch packets flow live at up to 4× speed.
📦 Packet Feed
Filterable real-time packet stream with byte-level breakdown, Excel-like resizable columns, and a detail pane. Toggle "My Nodes" to focus on your mesh.
🗺️ Network Overview
At-a-glance mesh stats — node counts, packet volume, observer coverage.
📊 Node Analytics
Per-node deep dive with interactive charts: activity timeline, packet type breakdown, SNR distribution, hop count analysis, peer network graph, and hourly heatmap.
💬 Channel Chat
Decoded group messages with sender names, @mentions, timestamps — like reading a Discord channel for your mesh.
📱 Mobile Ready
Full experience on your phone — proper touch controls, iOS safe area support, and a compact VCR bar.
And More
- 11 Analytics Tabs — RF, topology, channels, hash stats, distance, route patterns, and more
- Node Directory — searchable list with role tabs, detail panel, QR codes, advert timeline
- Packet Tracing — follow individual packets across observers with SNR/RSSI timeline
- Observer Status — health monitoring, packet counts, uptime, per-observer analytics
- Hash Collision Matrix — detect address collisions across the mesh
- Channel Key Auto-Derivation — hashtag channels (
#channel) keys derived via SHA256 - Multi-Broker MQTT — connect to multiple brokers with per-source IATA filtering
- Dark / Light Mode — auto-detects system preference, map tiles swap too
- Theme Customizer — design your theme in-browser, export as
theme.json - Global Search — search packets, nodes, and channels (Ctrl+K)
- Shareable URLs — deep links to packets, channels, and observer detail pages
- Protobuf API Contract — typed API definitions in
proto/ - Accessible — ARIA patterns, keyboard navigation, screen reader support
Quick Start
Pre-built Image (Recommended)
No build step required — just run:
docker run -d --name corescope \
--restart=unless-stopped \
-p 80:80 -p 1883:1883 \
-v /your/data:/app/data \
ghcr.io/kpa-clawbot/corescope:latest
Open http://localhost — done. No config file needed; CoreScope starts with sensible defaults.
For HTTPS with a custom domain, add -p 443:443 and mount your Caddyfile:
docker run -d --name corescope \
--restart=unless-stopped \
-p 80:80 -p 443:443 -p 1883:1883 \
-v /your/data:/app/data \
-v /your/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile:ro \
-v /your/caddy-data:/data/caddy \
ghcr.io/kpa-clawbot/corescope:latest
Disable built-in services with -e DISABLE_MOSQUITTO=true or -e DISABLE_CADDY=true, or drop a .env file in your data volume. See docs/deployment.md for the full reference.
Build from Source
git clone https://github.com/Kpa-clawbot/CoreScope.git
cd CoreScope
./manage.sh setup
The setup wizard walks you through config, domain, HTTPS, build, and run.
./manage.sh status # Health check + packet/node counts
./manage.sh logs # Follow logs
./manage.sh backup # Backup database
./manage.sh update # Pull latest + rebuild + restart
./manage.sh mqtt-test # Check if observer data is flowing
./manage.sh help # All commands
Configure
Copy config.example.json to config.json and edit:
{
"port": 3000,
"mqtt": {
"broker": "mqtt://localhost:1883",
"topic": "meshcore/+/+/packets"
},
"mqttSources": [
{
"name": "remote-feed",
"broker": "mqtts://remote-broker:8883",
"topics": ["meshcore/+/+/packets"],
"username": "user",
"password": "pass",
"iataFilter": ["SJC", "SFO", "OAK"]
}
],
"channelKeys": {
"public": "8b3387e9c5cdea6ac9e5edbaa115cd72"
},
"defaultRegion": "SJC"
}
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
port |
HTTP server port (default: 3000) |
mqtt.broker |
Local MQTT broker URL ("" to disable) |
mqttSources |
External MQTT broker connections (optional) |
channelKeys |
Channel decryption keys (hex). Hashtag channels auto-derived via SHA256 |
defaultRegion |
Default IATA region code for the UI |
dbPath |
SQLite database path (default: data/meshcore.db) |
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
PORT |
Override config port |
DB_PATH |
Override SQLite database path |
Architecture
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Docker Container │
│ │
Observer → USB → │ Mosquitto ──→ Go Ingestor ──→ SQLite DB │
meshcoretomqtt → MQTT ──→│ │ │
│ Go HTTP Server ──→ WebSocket │
│ │ │ │
│ Caddy (HTTPS) ←───────┘ │
└────────────────────┼────────────────────────┘
│
Browser
Two-process model: The Go ingestor handles MQTT ingestion and packet decoding. The Go HTTP server loads all packets into an in-memory store on startup (5 indexes for fast lookups) and serves the REST API + WebSocket broadcast. Both are managed by supervisord inside a single container with Caddy for HTTPS and Mosquitto for local MQTT.
MQTT Setup
- Flash an observer node with
MESH_PACKET_LOGGING=1build flag - Connect via USB to a host running meshcoretomqtt
- Configure meshcoretomqtt with your IATA region code and MQTT broker address
- Packets appear on topic
meshcore/{IATA}/{PUBKEY}/packets
Or POST raw hex packets to POST /api/packets for manual injection.
Project Structure
corescope/
├── cmd/
│ ├── server/ # Go HTTP server + WebSocket + REST API
│ │ ├── main.go # Entry point
│ │ ├── routes.go # 40+ API endpoint handlers
│ │ ├── store.go # In-memory packet store (5 indexes)
│ │ ├── db.go # SQLite persistence layer
│ │ ├── decoder.go # MeshCore packet decoder
│ │ ├── websocket.go # WebSocket broadcast
│ │ └── *_test.go # 327 test functions
│ └── ingestor/ # Go MQTT ingestor
│ ├── main.go # MQTT subscription + packet processing
│ ├── decoder.go # Packet decoder (shared logic)
│ ├── db.go # SQLite write path
│ └── *_test.go # 53 test functions
├── proto/ # Protobuf API definitions
├── public/ # Vanilla JS frontend (no build step)
│ ├── index.html # SPA shell
│ ├── app.js # Router, WebSocket, utilities
│ ├── packets.js # Packet feed + hex breakdown
│ ├── map.js # Leaflet map + route visualization
│ ├── live.js # Live trace + VCR playback
│ ├── channels.js # Channel chat
│ ├── nodes.js # Node directory + detail views
│ ├── analytics.js # 11-tab analytics dashboard
│ └── style.css # CSS variable theming (light/dark)
├── docker/
│ ├── supervisord-go.conf # Process manager (server + ingestor)
│ ├── mosquitto.conf # MQTT broker config
│ ├── Caddyfile # Reverse proxy + HTTPS
│ └── entrypoint-go.sh # Container entrypoint
├── Dockerfile # Multi-stage Go build + Alpine runtime
├── config.example.json # Example configuration
├── tests/ # Node.js test suite: unit/ (test-all.sh) and e2e/ (Playwright)
├── test-all.sh # Runs every suite in tests/unit
└── tools/ # Generators, E2E tests, utilities
For Developers
Building
make build # all four binaries for your machine, into dist/
make build-server # just one
make crossbuild # static linux/amd64 + linux/arm64 binaries
The SQLite driver is mattn/go-sqlite3, which
is cgo, so a plain GOOS=linux go build from a Mac will not work: cross-compiling
needs a C compiler that can target the other platform. make crossbuild uses
zig as that compiler (install it and it just
works) and links statically against musl, so the result is one self-contained file
that runs on Alpine or scratch. The container build does the same thing — see
Dockerfile.
Test Suite
380 Go tests covering the backend, plus 150+ Node.js tests for the frontend and legacy logic, plus 49 Playwright E2E tests for browser validation.
# Go backend tests
cd cmd/server && go test ./... -v
cd cmd/ingestor && go test ./... -v
# Or across all 14 modules at once
make test
# Node.js frontend + integration tests
npm test
# Playwright E2E (requires running server on localhost:3000)
node tests/e2e/test-e2e-playwright.js
Generate Test Data
node tools/generate-packets.js --api --count 200
Migrating from Node.js
If you're running an existing Node.js deployment, see docs/go-migration.md for a step-by-step guide. The Go engine reads the same SQLite database and config.json — no data migration needed.
Contributing
Contributions welcome. Please read AGENTS.md for coding conventions, testing requirements, and engineering principles before submitting a PR.
Live instance: analyzer.00id.net — all API endpoints are public, no auth required.
API Documentation: CoreScope auto-generates an OpenAPI 3.0 spec. Browse the interactive Swagger UI at /api/docs or fetch the machine-readable spec at /api/spec.
License
GPL-3.0-or-later




