Performance improvements and refactor of Ratelimiter (#7595)

While working on https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/5665 I found myself digging into the `Ratelimiter` class and seeing that it was both:

* Rather undocumented, and
* causing a *lot* of config checks

This PR attempts to refactor and comment the `Ratelimiter` class, as well as encourage config file accesses to only be done at instantiation. 

Best to be reviewed commit-by-commit.

1 files changed, 118 insertions, 35 deletions

diff --git a/synapse/api/ratelimiting.py b/synapse/api/ratelimiting.py
index 7a049b3af7..ec6b3a69a2 100644
--- a/synapse/api/ratelimiting.py
+++ b/synapse/api/ratelimiting.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # Copyright 2014-2016 OpenMarket Ltd
+# Copyright 2020 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,75 +17,157 @@ from collections import OrderedDict
 from typing import Any, Optional, Tuple
 
 from synapse.api.errors import LimitExceededError
+from synapse.util import Clock
 
 
 class Ratelimiter(object):
     """
-    Ratelimit message sending by user.
+    Ratelimit actions marked by arbitrary keys.
+
+    Args:
+        clock: A homeserver clock, for retrieving the current time
+        rate_hz: The long term number of actions that can be performed in a second.
+        burst_count: How many actions that can be performed before being limited.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.message_counts = (
-            OrderedDict()
-        )  # type: OrderedDict[Any, Tuple[float, int, Optional[float]]]
+    def __init__(self, clock: Clock, rate_hz: float, burst_count: int):
+        self.clock = clock
+        self.rate_hz = rate_hz
+        self.burst_count = burst_count
+
+        # A ordered dictionary keeping track of actions, when they were last
+        # performed and how often. Each entry is a mapping from a key of arbitrary type
+        # to a tuple representing:
+        #   * How many times an action has occurred since a point in time
+        #   * The point in time
+        #   * The rate_hz of this particular entry. This can vary per request
+        self.actions = OrderedDict()  # type: OrderedDict[Any, Tuple[float, int, float]]
 
-    def can_do_action(self, key, time_now_s, rate_hz, burst_count, update=True):
+    def can_do_action(
+        self,
+        key: Any,
+        rate_hz: Optional[float] = None,
+        burst_count: Optional[int] = None,
+        update: bool = True,
+        _time_now_s: Optional[int] = None,
+    ) -> Tuple[bool, float]:
         """Can the entity (e.g. user or IP address) perform the action?
+
         Args:
             key: The key we should use when rate limiting. Can be a user ID
                 (when sending events), an IP address, etc.
-            time_now_s: The time now.
-            rate_hz: The long term number of messages a user can send in a
-                second.
-            burst_count: How many messages the user can send before being
-                limited.
-            update (bool): Whether to update the message rates or not. This is
-                useful to check if a message would be allowed to be sent before
-                its ready to be actually sent.
+            rate_hz: The long term number of actions that can be performed in a second.
+                Overrides the value set during instantiation if set.
+            burst_count: How many actions that can be performed before being limited.
+                Overrides the value set during instantiation if set.
+            update: Whether to count this check as performing the action
+            _time_now_s: The current time. Optional, defaults to the current time according
+                to self.clock. Only used by tests.
+
         Returns:
-            A pair of a bool indicating if they can send a message now and a
-                time in seconds of when they can next send a message.
+            A tuple containing:
+                * A bool indicating if they can perform the action now
+                * The reactor timestamp for when the action can be performed next.
+                  -1 if rate_hz is less than or equal to zero
         """
-        self.prune_message_counts(time_now_s)
-        message_count, time_start, _ignored = self.message_counts.get(
-            key, (0.0, time_now_s, None)
-        )
+        # Override default values if set
+        time_now_s = _time_now_s if _time_now_s is not None else self.clock.time()
+        rate_hz = rate_hz if rate_hz is not None else self.rate_hz
+        burst_count = burst_count if burst_count is not None else self.burst_count
+
+        # Remove any expired entries
+        self._prune_message_counts(time_now_s)
+
+        # Check if there is an existing count entry for this key
+        action_count, time_start, _ = self.actions.get(key, (0.0, time_now_s, 0.0))
+
+        # Check whether performing another action is allowed
         time_delta = time_now_s - time_start
-        sent_count = message_count - time_delta * rate_hz
-        if sent_count < 0:
+        performed_count = action_count - time_delta * rate_hz
+        if performed_count < 0:
+            # Allow, reset back to count 1
             allowed = True
             time_start = time_now_s
-            message_count = 1.0
-        elif sent_count > burst_count - 1.0:
+            action_count = 1.0
+        elif performed_count > burst_count - 1.0:
+            # Deny, we have exceeded our burst count
             allowed = False
         else:
+            # We haven't reached our limit yet
             allowed = True
-            message_count += 1
+            action_count += 1.0
 
         if update:
-            self.message_counts[key] = (message_count, time_start, rate_hz)
+            self.actions[key] = (action_count, time_start, rate_hz)
 
         if rate_hz > 0:
-            time_allowed = time_start + (message_count - burst_count + 1) / rate_hz
+            # Find out when the count of existing actions expires
+            time_allowed = time_start + (action_count - burst_count + 1) / rate_hz
+
+            # Don't give back a time in the past
             if time_allowed < time_now_s:
                 time_allowed = time_now_s
+
         else:
+            # XXX: Why is this -1? This seems to only be used in
+            # self.ratelimit. I guess so that clients get a time in the past and don't
+            # feel afraid to try again immediately
             time_allowed = -1
 
         return allowed, time_allowed
 
-    def prune_message_counts(self, time_now_s):
-        for key in list(self.message_counts.keys()):
-            message_count, time_start, rate_hz = self.message_counts[key]
+    def _prune_message_counts(self, time_now_s: int):
+        """Remove message count entries that have not exceeded their defined
+        rate_hz limit
+
+        Args:
+            time_now_s: The current time
+        """
+        # We create a copy of the key list here as the dictionary is modified during
+        # the loop
+        for key in list(self.actions.keys()):
+            action_count, time_start, rate_hz = self.actions[key]
+
+            # Rate limit = "seconds since we started limiting this action" * rate_hz
+            # If this limit has not been exceeded, wipe our record of this action
             time_delta = time_now_s - time_start
-            if message_count - time_delta * rate_hz > 0:
-                break
+            if action_count - time_delta * rate_hz > 0:
+                continue
             else:
-                del self.message_counts[key]
+                del self.actions[key]
+
+    def ratelimit(
+        self,
+        key: Any,
+        rate_hz: Optional[float] = None,
+        burst_count: Optional[int] = None,
+        update: bool = True,
+        _time_now_s: Optional[int] = None,
+    ):
+        """Checks if an action can be performed. If not, raises a LimitExceededError
+
+        Args:
+            key: An arbitrary key used to classify an action
+            rate_hz: The long term number of actions that can be performed in a second.
+                Overrides the value set during instantiation if set.
+            burst_count: How many actions that can be performed before being limited.
+                Overrides the value set during instantiation if set.
+            update: Whether to count this check as performing the action
+            _time_now_s: The current time. Optional, defaults to the current time according
+                to self.clock. Only used by tests.
+
+        Raises:
+            LimitExceededError: If an action could not be performed, along with the time in
+                milliseconds until the action can be performed again
+        """
+        time_now_s = _time_now_s if _time_now_s is not None else self.clock.time()
 
-    def ratelimit(self, key, time_now_s, rate_hz, burst_count, update=True):
         allowed, time_allowed = self.can_do_action(
-            key, time_now_s, rate_hz, burst_count, update
+            key,
+            rate_hz=rate_hz,
+            burst_count=burst_count,
+            update=update,
+            _time_now_s=time_now_s,
         )
 
         if not allowed: