feat: add monitoring thread to _multi_connect for early timeout exit

[germa89]

Description

This PR adds a background monitoring thread to the _multi_connect method in MapdlGrpc that actively checks if the MAPDL process is alive during connection attempts. This enhancement allows PyMAPDL to exit early if the MAPDL process dies, rather than waiting for the full timeout period.

Key Changes

Modified _multi_connect method in src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_grpc.py:

• Added a monitoring thread that runs in parallel with connection attempts
• Thread checks process status using _check_process_is_alive every 0.5 seconds
• Early exit when process death is detected, reducing wait time from full timeout (~15-30s) to ~1-2 seconds
• Proper thread cleanup using threading.Event and join() mechanisms
• Monitoring only activates for local MAPDL instances with available process and path information

Test Coverage:

Added 7 comprehensive unit tests in tests/test_launcher.py:

1. test_multi_connect_with_valid_process - Tests successful connection with alive process (requires local MAPDL)
2. test_multi_connect_early_exit_on_process_death - Tests early exit when process dies during connection (requires local MAPDL)
3. test_multi_connect_monitoring_conditions - Parametrized test for different monitoring start conditions
4. test_multi_connect_monitoring_thread_cleanup - Verifies thread is properly cleaned up
5. test_multi_connect_monitor_detects_process_death - Tests monitor detection capability with mocks
6. test_multi_connect_with_successful_connection_stops_monitoring - Verifies monitor stops after successful connection
7. test_multi_connect_remote_no_monitoring - Tests that monitoring doesn't start for remote instances

Benefits

• Faster failure detection: Users no longer wait for full timeout when MAPDL fails to start
• Better user experience: Immediate feedback when process dies during connection
• Resource efficiency: No unnecessary waiting when process has already failed
• Non-intrusive: Only monitors local instances, doesn't affect remote connections
• Thread-safe: Proper cleanup ensures no resource leaks

Issue linked

This PR addresses the issue where PyMAPDL waits for the full timeout period even when the MAPDL process has already died during connection attempts, particularly when using launch and discovery methods.

Checklist

• I have visited and read Develop PyMAPDL.
• I have tested my changes locally
• I have added necessary documentation or updated existing documentation.
• I have followed the PyMAPDL coding style guidelines.
• I have added appropriate unit tests that also ensure the minimal coverage criteria.
• I have reviewed my changes before submitting this pull request.
• I have linked the issue or issues that are solved to the PR if any.
• I have assigned this PR to myself.
• I have marked this PR as draft if it is not ready to be reviewed yet.
• I have made sure that the title of my PR follows Commit naming conventions (e.g. feat: adding new MAPDL command)

[Copilot]

Pull Request Overview

This PR implements a background monitoring thread in the _multi_connect method that actively checks if a local MAPDL process is alive during connection attempts. This enables PyMAPDL to exit early if the MAPDL process dies, reducing wait time from a full timeout (~15-30s) to approximately 1-2 seconds. The monitoring thread runs in parallel with connection attempts, checking process status every 0.5 seconds using _check_process_is_alive, and only activates for local MAPDL instances with available process and path information.

Key Changes

• Added monitoring thread to _multi_connect in src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_grpc.py with proper cleanup using threading.Event and join() mechanisms
• Implemented 7 comprehensive unit tests covering various scenarios including process death detection, monitoring conditions, thread cleanup, and remote instance behavior
• Thread monitors process status every 0.5 seconds and triggers early exit when process death is detected

Reviewed Changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated 4 comments.

File	Description
src/ansys/mapdl/core/mapdl_grpc.py	Adds monitoring thread to _multi_connect method with proper cleanup and early exit logic when MAPDL process dies during connection
tests/test_launcher.py	Adds 7 unit tests validating monitoring thread functionality, early exit behavior, thread cleanup, and proper activation conditions

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[codecov]

Codecov Report

❌ Patch coverage is 87.23404% with 6 lines in your changes missing coverage. Please review.
✅ Project coverage is 89.73%. Comparing base (be80897) to head (47d6bad).
⚠️ Report is 3 commits behind head on main.

Additional details and impacted files

@@            Coverage Diff             @@
##             main    #4310      +/-   ##
==========================================
- Coverage   91.28%   89.73%   -1.56%     
==========================================
  Files         193      193              
  Lines       15742    15778      +36     
==========================================
- Hits        14370    14158     -212     
- Misses       1372     1620     +248     

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