# Persistent Connection Implementation Summary

## Overview
Modified the Chrome extension to implement persistent connection management that maintains connections until explicitly disconnected by the user.

## Key Changes Made

### 1. Enhanced RemoteServerClient (`utils/remote-server-client.ts`)

#### Connection State Persistence
- **Added persistent connection state management**:
  - `persistentConnectionEnabled = true` by default
  - `connectionStateKey = 'remoteServerConnectionState'` for storage
  - Automatic state saving/loading to chrome.storage.local

#### New Methods Added
- `saveConnectionState()`: Saves connection state to chrome storage
- `loadConnectionState()`: Loads and restores connection state on startup
- `clearConnectionState()`: Clears saved state on manual disconnect
- `setPersistentConnection(enabled)`: Enable/disable persistent behavior
- `isPersistentConnectionEnabled()`: Get current persistence setting

#### Enhanced Reconnection Logic
- **Increased max reconnection attempts**: From 10 to 50 for persistent connections
- **Extended reconnection delays**: Up to 60 seconds for persistent connections
- **Smarter reconnection**: Only attempts reconnection for unexpected disconnections
- **Connection restoration**: Automatically restores connections within 24 hours

#### Connection Lifecycle Improvements
- **State saving on connect**: Automatically saves state when connection established
- **State clearing on disconnect**: Clears state only on manual disconnect
- **Robust error handling**: Better handling of connection timeouts and errors

### 2. Enhanced Background Script (`entrypoints/background/index.ts`)

#### Browser Event Listeners
- **Added `initBrowserEventListeners()`** function with listeners for:
  - `chrome.runtime.onStartup`: Browser startup detection
  - `chrome.runtime.onInstalled`: Extension install/update events
  - `chrome.runtime.onSuspend`: Browser suspension events
  - `chrome.tabs.onActivated`: Tab switch monitoring
  - `chrome.windows.onFocusChanged`: Window focus monitoring

#### Connection Health Monitoring
- **Added `startConnectionHealthCheck()`**: 5-minute interval health checks
- **Periodic status logging**: Regular connection status verification
- **Proactive monitoring**: Detects and logs connection state changes

### 3. Enhanced Popup UI (`entrypoints/popup/App.vue`)

#### Visual Indicators
- **Persistent connection badge**: "🔗 Persistent: Active" indicator
- **Enhanced status text**: "Connected (Persistent)" vs "Disconnected - Click Connect for persistent connection"
- **Persistent info message**: "🔗 Connection will persist until manually disconnected"

#### CSS Styling
- **`.persistent-indicator`**: Styling for persistent connection elements
- **`.persistent-badge`**: Green gradient badge with shadow
- **`.persistent-info`**: Info box with green accent border

#### Status Text Updates
- **Clear messaging**: Emphasizes persistent nature of connections
- **User guidance**: Explains that connections persist until manual disconnect

## Technical Implementation Details

### Connection State Storage
```javascript
const state = {
  wasConnected: boolean,
  connectionTime: number,
  serverUrl: string,
  lastSaveTime: number
}
```

### Reconnection Strategy
- **Exponential backoff**: 5s, 10s, 20s, 40s, up to 60s intervals
- **Persistent attempts**: Up to 50 attempts for persistent connections
- **Smart restoration**: Only restores connections from last 24 hours

### Browser Event Handling
- **Tab switches**: Connection maintained across all tab operations
- **Window focus**: Connection persists during window focus changes
- **Browser suspension**: State saved before suspension, restored after
- **Extension updates**: Connection state preserved across updates

## Behavior Changes

### Before Implementation
- Manual connection required each session
- Connections might not survive browser events
- Limited reconnection attempts (10)
- No connection state persistence

### After Implementation
- **"Connect once, stay connected"** behavior
- **Connections persist across**:
  - Popup open/close cycles
  - Browser tab switches
  - Window focus changes
  - Extended idle periods
  - Browser suspension/resume
- **Robust reconnection**: Up to 50 attempts with smart backoff
- **State restoration**: Automatic connection restoration after browser restart
- **Manual disconnect only**: Connections only terminate when explicitly disconnected

## User Experience Improvements

### Clear Visual Feedback
- Persistent connection status clearly indicated
- Real-time connection duration display
- Visual badges and indicators for connection state

### Predictable Behavior
- Users know connections will persist until manually disconnected
- No unexpected disconnections during tool operations
- Consistent behavior across browser lifecycle events

### Robust Connectivity
- Automatic reconnection when server becomes available
- Connection state restoration after browser restart
- Extended retry attempts for better reliability

## Testing
- Comprehensive test plan provided in `PERSISTENT_CONNECTION_TEST_PLAN.md`
- Covers all aspects of persistent connection behavior
- Includes verification points and success criteria

## Compatibility
- Maintains backward compatibility with existing MCP clients
- No breaking changes to tool execution or API
- Enhanced reliability without changing core functionality