Implement manual network/channel cloning for better performance

src/client.js

@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ Client.prototype.connect = function(args) {
 
 	client.networks.push(network);
 	client.emit("network", {
-		networks: [network],
+		networks: [network.getFilteredClone(this.lastActiveChannel, -1)],
 	});
 
 	if (config.lockNetwork) {

src/models/chan.js

@@ -136,11 +136,39 @@ Chan.prototype.removeUser = function(user) {
 	this.users.delete(user.nick.toLowerCase());
 };
 
-Chan.prototype.toJSON = function() {
-	var clone = _.clone(this);
-	clone.users = []; // Do not send user list, the client will explicitly request it when needed
-	clone.messages = clone.messages.slice(-1);
-	return clone;
+/**
+ * Get a clean clone of this channel that will be sent to the client.
+ * This function performs manual cloning of channel object for
+ * better control of performance and memory usage.
+ *
+ * @param {(int|bool)} lastActiveChannel - Last known active user channel id (needed to control how many messages are sent)
+ *                                         If true, channel is assumed active.
+ * @param {int} lastMessage - Last message id seen by active client to avoid sending duplicates.
+ */
+Chan.prototype.getFilteredClone = function(lastActiveChannel, lastMessage) {
+	return Object.keys(this).reduce((newChannel, prop) => {
+		if (prop === "users") {
+			// Do not send users, client requests updated user list whenever needed
+			newChannel[prop] = [];
+		} else if (prop === "messages") {
+			// If channel is active, send up to 100 last messages, for all others send just 1
+			// Client will automatically load more messages whenever needed based on last seen messages
+			const messagesToSend = lastActiveChannel === true || this.id === lastActiveChannel ? -100 : -1;
+
+			// If client is reconnecting, only send new messages that client has not seen yet
+			if (lastMessage > -1) {
+				newChannel[prop] = this[prop]
+					.filter((m) => m.id > lastMessage)
+					.slice(messagesToSend);
+			} else {
+				newChannel[prop] = this[prop].slice(messagesToSend);
+			}
+		} else {
+			newChannel[prop] = this[prop];
+		}
+
+		return newChannel;
+	}, {});
 };
 
 function writeUserLog(client, msg) {

src/models/network.js

@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@ module.exports = Network;
 
 let id = 1;
 
+/**
+ * @type {Object} List of keys which should not be sent to the client.
+ */
+const filteredFromClient = {
+	awayMessage: true,
+	chanCache: true,
+	highlightRegex: true,
+	irc: true,
+	password: true,
+};
+
 function Network(attr) {
 	_.defaults(this, attr, {
 		name: "",
@@ -63,14 +74,27 @@ Network.prototype.setNick = function(nick) {
 	);
 };
 
-Network.prototype.toJSON = function() {
-	return _.omit(this, [
-		"awayMessage",
-		"chanCache",
-		"highlightRegex",
-		"irc",
-		"password",
-	]);
+/**
+ * Get a clean clone of this network that will be sent to the client.
+ * This function performs manual cloning of network object for
+ * better control of performance and memory usage.
+ *
+ * Both of the parameters that are accepted by this function are passed into channels' getFilteredClone call.
+ *
+ * @see {@link Chan#getFilteredClone}
+ */
+Network.prototype.getFilteredClone = function(lastActiveChannel, lastMessage) {
+	return Object.keys(this).reduce((newNetwork, prop) => {
+		if (prop === "channels") {
+			// Channels objects perform their own cloning
+			newNetwork[prop] = this[prop].map((channel) => channel.getFilteredClone(lastActiveChannel, lastMessage));
+		} else if (!filteredFromClient[prop]) {
+			// Some properties that are not useful for the client are skipped
+			newNetwork[prop] = this[prop];
+		}
+
+		return newNetwork;
+	}, {});
 };
 
 Network.prototype.export = function() {

src/server.js

@@ -420,24 +420,11 @@ function initializeClient(socket, client, token, lastMessage) {
 	socket.join(client.id);
 
 	const sendInitEvent = (tokenToSend) => {
-		let networks = client.networks;
-
-		if (lastMessage > -1) {
-			// We need a deep cloned object because we are going to remove unneeded messages
-			networks = _.cloneDeep(networks);
-
-			networks.forEach((network) => {
-				network.channels.forEach((channel) => {
-					channel.messages = channel.messages.filter((m) => m.id > lastMessage);
-				});
-			});
-		}
-
 		socket.emit("init", {
 			applicationServerKey: manager.webPush.vapidKeys.publicKey,
 			pushSubscription: client.config.sessions[token],
 			active: client.lastActiveChannel,
-			networks: networks,
+			networks: client.networks.map((network) => network.getFilteredClone(client.lastActiveChannel, lastMessage)),
 			token: tokenToSend,
 		});
 	};