Messaging

Brand Protect moves real-time data over Redis pub/sub (Python → Rails) and ActionCable (Rails → browser).

Redis pub/sub

The Python service publishes onto Redis channels; the Rails scan_db_consumer thread (in config/initializers/scan_db_consumer.rb) subscribes to them. All channels are prefixed with brand_protect_cable:.

Channel	Payload	Consumed by
scan_db_updates	scan status / per-stage progress	process_scan_update
scan_findings	initial finding batch + deltas	process_initial_findings, process_findings_deltas
domain_profiles	owned-domain enrichment results	process_domain_profile
social_profiles	social-handle enrichment results	process_social_profile
social_findings	initial social batch + deltas	process_initial_social_findings, process_social_findings_deltas

In addition, Python publishes a per-scan event stream that Rails relays to the browser.

What the consumer does

process_scan_update:

• merges stage progress into scan_runs.stage_states;
• broadcasts ActionCable scan_<id> “progress” messages;
• maintains the Redis active-scan key (scan:active:<id>, TTL 1 hour);
• on terminal status: sets completed_at, writes the audit event (scan_completed / scan_failed / scan_cancelled), and enqueues ReportGenerationJob (completed) or WebhookDeliveryJob.

process_initial_findings / process_findings_deltas upsert Finding rows — the initial batch is keyed by original_domain, deltas are matched by domain.

process_domain_profile / process_social_profile upsert enrichment results with generation-staleness guards (the profile carries an enrichment_generation; stale results are dropped). When a domain profile completes, deferred scans are dispatched.

process_initial_social_findings / process_social_findings_deltas upsert SocialFinding rows keyed by (platform, handle).

ActionCable

ScanChannel (app/channels/scan_channel.rb) streams scan_<id> events to the scan owner’s browser. The dashboard controller also broadcasts a cancel command on a controls channel when a scan is stopped.

Browser fallback

The dashboard does not depend solely on WebSockets: scan_monitor_controller.js also polls GET /dashboard/status every 2 seconds and reconciles the table state, so the UI converges even if the cable drops.

Wiring

• REDIS_URL (default redis://redis:6379/1) configures the connection for both publisher and consumer.
• The Rails consumer subscribes in a background thread at boot (config/initializers/scan_db_consumer.rb).
• Production uses Solid Cable for ActionCable storage; the stream itself is Redis-backed pub/sub.

See Redis channels for the full channel reference.