Tutorial 1: Event Aggregation : Streaming BTS

In this tutorial we'll learn how Blurr performs basic data aggregation. The following concepts will be introduced:

The Blurr Transform Spec document (BTS)
The basic blocks of a BTS: Header, Store, Identity and Aggregates
How events are processed and aggregated one by one by a Block Aggregate
How Identity and Dimensions are used to create new records.

Try the code from this example launching a Jupyter Notebook.

1. Events

Our sample application is a fairly simple game in which the player can either win or lose.

Users can play as many games as they want in one sitting, what we call a session. Each event will have a session_id to identify the session in which the game was played.

This app collects 2 types of events:

game_start: sent when a user starts a new game.
game_end: sent when a user finishes a game. Contains a won field that marks whether the user won the game (1 for a win, 0 for a loss).

Example:

{
  "user_id": "09C1", # unique user identifier
  "session_id": "915D", # the session the game is played on
  "event_id": "game_start", # type of the event
  "country" : "US", # demographic data
  "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:01:03" # time of the occurrence of the event
}

Events are stored as JSON entries, split by a new line character \n:

{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "915D", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_start", "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:01:03" }
{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "915D", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_end", "won": 1, "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:03:04"  }
{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "915D", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_start", "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:04:31"  }
{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "915D", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_end", "won": 1, "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:10:22"  }
{ "user_id": "B6FA", "session_id": "D043", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_start", "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:11:03"  }
{ "user_id": "B6FA", "session_id": "D043", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_end", "won": 1, "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:21:55"  }
{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "T8KA", "country" : "UK", "event_id": "game_start", "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:22:13"  }
{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "T8KA", "country" : "UK", "event_id": "game_end", "won": 1, "timestamp": "2018/03/04 09:25:24"  }

Our goal is to collect session statistics, such as games played in a session by a user, or the total games won.

2. The Transformation

For the sequence of events listed before we're interested in the number of games played and number of games won by player and session.

We will transform the original sequence of events into an series of records containing the desired information:

session_id

user_id

games_played

games_won

915D

09C1

D043

B6FA

T8KA

09C1

In order to obtain this transformation, Blurr will process the events sequentially one by one using this Blurr Transform Spec (BTS) file.

Type: Blurr:Transform:Streaming
Version: '2018-03-01'
Name: sessions

Stores:
   - Type: Blurr:Store:Memory
     Name: hello_world_store

Identity: source.user_id

Import:
  - { Module: dateutil.parser, Identifiers: [ parse ]}

Time: parse(source.timestamp)

Aggregates:

 - Type: Blurr:Aggregate:Block
   Name: session_stats
   Store: hello_world_store

   Dimensions:

     - Name: session_id
       Type: string
       Value: source.session_id

   Fields:

     - Name: games_played
       Type: integer
       When: source.event_id == 'game_start'
       Value: session_stats.games_played + 1

     - Name: games_won
       Type: integer
       When: source.event_id == 'game_end' and source.won == 1
       Value: session_stats.games_won + 1

Let's have a quick look at the five main blocks of this BTS: Header, Store, Time, Identity and Aggregates.

2.1. Header

Type: Blurr:Transform:Streaming
Version: '2018-03-07'
Name : sessions

Type and Version identify the capabilities of the BTS.

Further in this series of tutorials we'll introduce different types of BTSs, such as Window BTS. We'll also learn how BTSs are combined, the reason why every BTS must have a unique Name.

2.2. Store

Store:
   - Type: Blurr:Store:Memory
     Name: hello_world_store

The output of a transformation is a collection of records persisted in a datastore. For this example we'll be using an in-memory datastore.

2.3. Identity

Every BTS has an Identity, which is always a property of the events being processed. In our example, the Identity is the property user_id:

Identity: source.user_id

In a BTS we can access the properties of the event being processed using the source keyword, as in source.user_id or source.won

The Identity is the main dimension around which events are aggregated. At this stage, let's just think on the Identity as a mandatory field that is part of both the original events and the output.

2.4. Time

Used to parse timestamp expressions from events.

Time: parser.parse(source.timestamp, 'YYYY/mm/dd HH:MM:SS')

Among other things, Blurr uses Time to internally generates start_time and end_time values for each session. We'll see in the next tutorial why this is critical to certain aggregation features.

2.5. Aggregates

This is where the magic happens. Aggregates define the nature of the transformation. Our example has a single Aggregate of type Block Aggregate. Different types of Aggregates will be introduced in the next tutorials.

We'll learn how the transformation happens in the next section by examining the flow of data event by event.

3. Data Flow

Events are processed one by one, and then aggregated as defined in the Block Aggregate:

Aggregates:
 - Type: Blurr:Aggregate:Block
   Name: session_stats
   Store: hello_world_store

   Dimensions:

     - Name: session_id
       Type: string
       Value: source.session_id

   Fields:

     - Name: games_played
       Type: integer
       When: source.event_id == 'game_start'
       Value: session_stats.games_played + 1

     - Name: games_won
       Type: integer
       When: source.event_id == 'game_end' and source.won == '1'
       Value: session_stats.games_won + 1

In order to understand how Block Aggregate aggregates data we'll use the sequence of events from the initial section.

3.1. First Event : `game_start`

The first event is processed when the first user starts playing the game:

{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "915D", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_start" }

Aggregates are calculated taking into account the historical series of events. In this case, games_played is increased by 1 every time a new game starts:

- Name: games_played
  Type: integer
  When: source.event_id == 'game_start'
  Value: session_stats.games_played + 1

Whenever a game_start event is received, the existing session_stats.games_played record is increased by one.

You can always access a field in the previously saved record by using the name of the Aggregate and the name of the field, such as in session_stats.games_played or session_stats.games_won.

Since this is the first historic event, the following will happen:

A new record is created in the store with the default values for each field ("" for string, 0 for integer)
The event is processed, updating the record using the Value expressions for the field. The content of Value can be any Python expression.

The resulting record is added to the store:

session_id

user_id

games_played

games_won

915D

09C1

3.2. Second Event : `game_end`

The user from the 1st event wins a game:

{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "915D", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_end", "won": 1 }

Processing this event results in the existing record having games_won increased by one:

- Name: games_won
  Type: integer
  When: source.event_id == 'game_end' and source.won == 1
  Value: session_stats.games_won + 1

session_id

user_id

games_played

games_won

915D

09C1

3.3. 3rd and 4th Event : user plays a new game

The same user plays and wins a new game in the same session:

{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "915D", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_start" }
{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "915D", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_end", "won": 1 }

After processing both events,games_played and games_won are increased by one.

session_id

user_id

games_played

games_won

915D

09C1

3.4. 5th and 6th Event : a new user plays a game

A second user starts a new game:

{ "user_id": "B6FA", "session_id": "D043", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_start" }

Previously we defined source.user_id as the Identity of the BTS:

Identity: source.user_id

Here we introduce one of the roles of the Identity: whenever an event is received and the Identity value doesn't exist in the store (like when a new user plays a game), a new record is added:

session_id

user_id

games_played

games_won

915D

09C1

D043

B6FA

After the game_end event is received, the record is updated with the win result:

{ "user_id": "B6FA", "session_id": "D043", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_end", "won": 1 }

session_id

user_id

games_played

games_won

915D

09C1

D043

B6FA

3.5. 7th Event : a user starts a new session

After some time, the user decides to play again. This is considered a new session from the game perspective:

{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "T8KA", "country" : "UK", "event_id": "game_start" }

There's an element of the Aggregate we haven't covered yet, Dimension:

Dimensions:

     - Name: session_id
       Type: string
       Value: source.session_id

Dimensions is a key component of event aggregation. A Block Aggregate always contains a Dimensions section, defining the record has to be upated with new events in the store.

The dimension fields are evaluated first every event. If the Block Aggregate is not already evaluating these dimensions then an existing record from the store is retrieved. If no record is found in the store then a new record is created.

source.session_id is the value of the property session_id in the event being processed (T8KA).
session_stats.session_id is the value of session_id in the last record saved for the same Identity (i.e. the last session played by the user, 915D)

source.session_id == session_stats.session_id
"T8KA" == "915D" # False - New record is created because T8KA doesn't already exist in the store

As a result of the evaluation of Dimensions a new record is created in the store:

session_id

user_id

games_played

games_won

915D

09C1

D043

B6FA

T8KA

09C1

3.6. 8th Event : `game_end`

The previous user finishes the game:

{ "user_id": "09C1", "session_id": "T8KA", "country" : "US", "event_id": "game_end", "won": 1 }

Since session_id is the same for the last record saved from the same user (created after the previous event):

source.session_id == session_stats.session_id
"T8KA" == "T8KA" # True

No record is created. The last record for that user is updated instead:

session_id

user_id

games_played

games_won

915D

09C1

D043

B6FA

T8KA

09C1

4. Previewing the transformation using Blurr CLI

We can preview the result of the transformation using blurr transform command:

$ blurr transform --streaming-bts tutorial1-streaming-bts.yml tutorial1-data.log

["09C1/session_stats/915D/", {"_identity": "09C1", "_start_time": "2018-03-04T09:01:03", "_end_time": "2018-03-04T09:10:22", "games_played": 2, "games_won": 2, "session_id": "915D"}]
["09C1/session_stats/T8KA/", {"_identity": "09C1", "_start_time": "2018-03-04T09:22:13", "_end_time": "2018-03-04T09:25:24", "games_played": 1, "games_won": 1, "session_id": "T8KA"}]
["B6FA/session_stats/D043/", {"_identity": "B6FA", "_start_time": "2018-03-04T09:11:03", "_end_time": "2018-03-04T09:21:55", "games_played": 1, "games_won": 1, "session_id": "D043"}]

transform prints the result of the transform in JSON format, which is slightly different from the table representation.

Each entry consists of an array with 2 items:

A identity/aggregate_name/session_id/ string. The Identity is represented by user_id in the tables.
An object with the remaining values of the record.

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1. Events

2. The Transformation

2.1. Header

2.2. Store

2.3. Identity

2.4. Time

2.5. Aggregates

3. Data Flow

3.1. First Event : game_start

3.2. Second Event : game_end

3.3. 3rd and 4th Event : user plays a new game

3.4. 5th and 6th Event : a new user plays a game

3.5. 7th Event : a user starts a new session

3.6. 8th Event : game_end

4. Previewing the transformation using Blurr CLI

3.1. First Event : `game_start`

3.2. Second Event : `game_end`

3.6. 8th Event : `game_end`