old_contents: import argparse
  import os
  import sys
  import threading
  import time
  import requests
  from google.protobuf import text_format
  import Request_pb2
  
  def new_dummy_server(port):
    try:
      os.system('python3 dummy_vm_server.py ' + str(port))
    except Exception as e:
      print(e)
  
  def master_server():
    try:
      os.system('python3 master_server.py -d b')
    except Exception as e:
      print(e)
  
  def start_server(starting_port, number_of_vms, test_directory):
    process = threading.Thread(target = master_server)
    process.start()
    time.sleep(10)
    count = number_of_vms
    for port in range(count):
      time.sleep(2)
      process = threading.Thread(target = new_dummy_server, args= (starting_port + port,))
      process.start()
    time.sleep(5)
    os.chdir(os.path.join(os.getcwd(), test_directory))
  
    TEXT_FILE = open('task_request.txt', 'r')
    TASK_REQUEST = Request_pb2.TaskRequest()
    text_format.Parse(TEXT_FILE.read(), TASK_REQUEST)
    TEXT_FILE.close()
      
    file_a = Request_pb2.TaskStatusResponse()
    file_b = Request_pb2.TaskStatusResponse()
    fil = open('initial_task_response.txt', 'r')
    text_format.Parse(fil.read(), file_a)
    fil.close()
    fil = open('final_task_response.txt', 'r')
    text_format.Parse(fil.read(), file_b)
    fil.close()
    os.chdir('..')
    return TASK_REQUEST,file_a,file_b
  
new_contents: import argparse
  import os
  import sys
  import threading
  import time
  import requests
  from google.protobuf import text_format
  import Request_pb2
  
  def new_dummy_server(port):
    try:
      os.system('python dummy_vm_server.py ' + str(port))
    except Exception as e:
      print(e)
  
  def master_server():
    try:
      os.system('python master_server.py -d b')
    except Exception as e:
      print(e)
  
  def start_server(starting_port, number_of_vms, test_directory):
    process = threading.Thread(target = master_server)
    process.start()
    time.sleep(10)
    count = number_of_vms
    for port in range(count):
      time.sleep(2)
      process = threading.Thread(target = new_dummy_server, args= (starting_port + port,))
      process.start()
    time.sleep(5)
    os.chdir(os.path.join(os.getcwd(), test_directory))
  
    TEXT_FILE = open('task_request.txt', 'r')
    TASK_REQUEST = Request_pb2.TaskRequest()
    text_format.Parse(TEXT_FILE.read(), TASK_REQUEST)
    TEXT_FILE.close()
      
    file_a = Request_pb2.TaskStatusResponse()
    file_b = Request_pb2.TaskStatusResponse()
    fil = open('initial_task_response.txt', 'r')
    text_format.Parse(fil.read(), file_a)
    fil.close()
    fil = open('final_task_response.txt', 'r')
    text_format.Parse(fil.read(), file_b)
    fil.close()
    os.chdir('..')
    return TASK_REQUEST,file_a,file_b
  
subject: Update start_server.py