Skip to main content

commonware_consensus/
lib.rs

1//! Order opaque messages in a Byzantine environment.
2//!
3//! # Status
4//!
5//! Stability varies by primitive. See [README](https://github.com/commonwarexyz/monorepo#stability) for details.
6
7#![doc(
8    html_logo_url = "https://commonware.xyz/imgs/rustdoc_logo.svg",
9    html_favicon_url = "https://commonware.xyz/favicon.ico"
10)]
11
12use commonware_macros::stability_scope;
13
14stability_scope!(BETA {
15    use commonware_codec::{Codec, Encode};
16    use commonware_cryptography::Digestible;
17
18    pub mod simplex;
19
20    pub mod types;
21    use types::{Epoch, Height, View, Round};
22
23    /// Epochable is a trait that provides access to the epoch number.
24    /// Any consensus message or object that is associated with a specific epoch should implement this.
25    pub trait Epochable {
26        /// Returns the epoch associated with this object.
27        fn epoch(&self) -> Epoch;
28    }
29
30    /// Heightable is a trait that provides access to the height.
31    /// Any consensus message or object that is associated with a specific height should implement this.
32    pub trait Heightable {
33        /// Returns the height associated with this object.
34        fn height(&self) -> Height;
35    }
36
37    /// Viewable is a trait that provides access to the view (round) number.
38    /// Any consensus message or object that is associated with a specific view should implement this.
39    pub trait Viewable {
40        /// Returns the view associated with this object.
41        fn view(&self) -> View;
42    }
43
44    /// Roundable is a trait that provides access to the [`Round`] number.
45    /// Any consensus message or object that implements [`Epochable`] and [`Viewable`] automatically
46    /// implements this trait.
47    pub trait Roundable: Epochable + Viewable {
48        /// Returns the round associated with this object, derived from its epoch and view.
49        fn round(&self) -> Round {
50            Round::new(self.epoch(), self.view())
51        }
52    }
53
54    impl<T: Epochable + Viewable> Roundable for T {}
55
56    /// Block is the interface for a block in the blockchain.
57    ///
58    /// Blocks are used to track the progress of the consensus engine.
59    pub trait Block: Heightable + Codec + Digestible + Send + Sync + 'static {
60        /// Get the parent block's digest.
61        fn parent(&self) -> Self::Digest;
62    }
63
64    /// CertifiableBlock extends [Block] with consensus context information.
65    ///
66    /// This trait is required for blocks used with deferred verification in [CertifiableAutomaton].
67    /// It allows the verification context to be derived directly from the block when a validator
68    /// needs to participate in certification but never verified the block locally (necessary for liveness).
69    pub trait CertifiableBlock: Block {
70        /// The consensus context type stored in this block.
71        type Context: Clone + Encode;
72
73        /// Get the consensus context that was used when this block was proposed.
74        fn context(&self) -> Self::Context;
75    }
76});
77stability_scope!(BETA, cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32")) {
78    use commonware_actor::Feedback;
79    use commonware_cryptography::{Digest, PublicKey};
80    use commonware_utils::channel::{fallible::OneshotExt, mpsc, oneshot};
81    use std::future::Future;
82
83    pub mod marshal;
84
85    mod reporter;
86    pub use reporter::*;
87
88    /// Histogram buckets for measuring consensus latency.
89    const LATENCY: [f64; 36] = [
90        0.05, 0.1, 0.125, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.2, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26,
91        0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.3, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.4, 0.45,
92        0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0,
93    ];
94
95    /// Automaton is the interface responsible for driving the consensus forward by proposing new payloads
96    /// and verifying payloads proposed by other participants.
97    pub trait Automaton: Clone + Send + 'static {
98        /// Context is metadata provided by the consensus engine associated with a given payload.
99        ///
100        /// This often includes things like the proposer, view number, the height, or the epoch.
101        type Context;
102
103        /// Hash of an arbitrary payload.
104        type Digest: Digest;
105
106        /// Generate a new payload for the given context.
107        ///
108        /// If it is possible to generate a payload, the Digest should be returned over the provided
109        /// channel. If it is not possible to generate a payload, the channel can be dropped. If construction
110        /// takes too long, the consensus engine may drop the provided proposal.
111        ///
112        /// Returning a payload from `propose` commits the local proposer to verifying
113        /// the same `(context, payload)`.
114        ///
115        /// For [`CertifiableAutomaton`] implementations, returning a payload from
116        /// `propose` also commits the local proposer to certifying that same
117        /// `(round, payload)` if it later becomes notarized.
118        fn propose(
119            &mut self,
120            context: Self::Context,
121        ) -> impl Future<Output = oneshot::Receiver<Self::Digest>> + Send;
122
123        /// Verify the payload is valid.
124        ///
125        /// This request is single-shot for the given `(context, payload)`. Once the returned
126        /// channel resolves or closes, consensus treats verification as concluded and will not
127        /// retry the same request.
128        ///
129        /// Implementations should therefore keep the request pending while the verdict may still
130        /// change. Return `false` only when the payload is permanently invalid for this context.
131        /// For example, temporary conditions such as time skew, missing dependencies, or data
132        /// that may arrive later should not conclude verification with `false`.
133        ///
134        /// Closing the channel is also terminal for this request and should be reserved for cases
135        /// where verification cannot ever produce a verdict anymore (for example, shutdown), not
136        /// for temporary inability to decide.
137        fn verify(
138            &mut self,
139            context: Self::Context,
140            payload: Self::Digest,
141        ) -> impl Future<Output = oneshot::Receiver<bool>> + Send;
142    }
143
144    /// CertifiableAutomaton extends [Automaton] with the ability to certify payloads before finalization.
145    ///
146    /// This trait is required by consensus implementations (like Simplex) that support a certification
147    /// phase between notarization and finalization. Applications that do not need custom certification
148    /// logic can use the default implementation which always certifies.
149    pub trait CertifiableAutomaton: Automaton {
150        /// Determine whether a verified payload is safe to commit.
151        ///
152        /// The round parameter identifies which consensus round is being certified, allowing
153        /// applications to associate certification with the correct verification context. The
154        /// same payload may appear in multiple rounds, so implementations must key any state
155        /// on `(round, payload)` rather than `payload` alone.
156        ///
157        /// Like [`Automaton::verify`], payloads produced by [`Automaton::propose`] are certifiable-by-construction.
158        /// Also like [`Automaton::verify`], certification is single-shot for the given
159        /// `(round, payload)`. Once the returned channel resolves or closes, consensus treats
160        /// certification as concluded and will not retry the same request.
161        ///
162        /// Implementations should therefore keep the request pending while the verdict may still
163        /// change. Return `false` only when the payload is permanently uncertifiable for that
164        /// round. Temporary conditions such as waiting for more data should not conclude
165        /// certification with `false`.
166        ///
167        /// Closing the channel is also terminal for this request and should be reserved for cases
168        /// where certification can no longer produce a verdict (for example, shutdown), not for temporary
169        /// inability to decide.
170        ///
171        /// # Determinism Requirement
172        ///
173        /// The decision returned by `certify` must be deterministic and consistent across
174        /// all honest participants to ensure liveness.
175        fn certify(
176            &mut self,
177            _round: Round,
178            _payload: Self::Digest,
179        ) -> impl Future<Output = oneshot::Receiver<bool>> + Send {
180            #[allow(clippy::async_yields_async)]
181            async move {
182                let (sender, receiver) = oneshot::channel();
183                sender.send_lossy(true);
184                receiver
185            }
186        }
187    }
188
189    /// Relay is the interface responsible for broadcasting payloads to the network.
190    ///
191    /// The consensus engine is only aware of a payload's digest, not its contents. It is up
192    /// to the relay to efficiently broadcast the full payload to other participants.
193    pub trait Relay: Clone + Send + 'static {
194        /// Hash of an arbitrary payload.
195        type Digest: Digest;
196
197        /// Identity key of a network participant.
198        type PublicKey: PublicKey;
199
200        /// Directive for how a payload should be broadcast.
201        ///
202        /// Consensus mechanisms that need broadcast control (e.g. distinguishing
203        /// initial broadcast from rebroadcasts) define a custom enum here. Mechanisms that
204        /// treat every broadcast identically can set this to `()`.
205        type Plan: Send;
206
207        /// Broadcast a payload according to the given plan.
208        fn broadcast(&mut self, payload: Self::Digest, plan: Self::Plan) -> Feedback;
209    }
210
211    /// Reporter is the interface responsible for reporting activity to some external actor.
212    pub trait Reporter: Clone + Send + 'static {
213        /// Activity is specified by the underlying consensus implementation and can be interpreted if desired.
214        ///
215        /// Examples of activity would be "vote", "finalize", or "fault". Various consensus implementations may
216        /// want to reward (or penalize) participation in different ways and in different places. For example,
217        /// validators could be required to send multiple types of messages (i.e. vote and finalize) and rewarding
218        /// both equally may better align incentives with desired behavior.
219        type Activity;
220
221        /// Report some activity observed by the consensus implementation.
222        fn report(&mut self, activity: Self::Activity) -> Feedback;
223    }
224
225    /// Monitor is the interface an external actor can use to observe the progress of a consensus implementation.
226    ///
227    /// Monitor is used to implement mechanisms that share the same set of active participants as consensus and/or
228    /// perform some activity that requires some synchronization with the progress of consensus.
229    ///
230    /// Monitor can be implemented using [crate::Reporter] to avoid introducing complexity
231    /// into any particular consensus implementation.
232    pub trait Monitor: Clone + Send + 'static {
233        /// Index is the type used to indicate the in-progress consensus decision.
234        type Index;
235
236        /// Create a channel that will receive updates when the latest index (also provided) changes.
237        fn subscribe(
238            &mut self,
239        ) -> impl Future<Output = (Self::Index, mpsc::Receiver<Self::Index>)> + Send;
240    }
241});
242stability_scope!(ALPHA {
243    pub mod aggregation;
244    pub mod ordered_broadcast;
245});
246stability_scope!(ALPHA, cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32")) {
247    use commonware_cryptography::certificate::Scheme;
248    use crate::marshal::ancestry::Ancestry;
249    use commonware_runtime::{Clock, Metrics, Spawner};
250    use rand::Rng;
251
252    /// Application is a minimal interface for standard implementations that operate over a stream
253    /// of epoched blocks.
254    pub trait Application<E>: Clone + Send + 'static
255    where
256        E: Rng + Spawner + Metrics + Clock,
257    {
258        /// The signing scheme used by the application.
259        type SigningScheme: Scheme;
260
261        /// Context is metadata provided by the consensus engine associated with a given payload.
262        ///
263        /// This often includes things like the proposer, view number, the height, or the epoch.
264        type Context: Epochable;
265
266        /// The block type produced by the application's builder.
267        type Block: Block;
268
269        /// Build a new block on top of the provided parent ancestry. If the build job fails,
270        /// or the proposer's slot should be skipped, the implementor should return [None].
271        ///
272        /// This future may be cancelled before it completes. Implementations must be
273        /// cancellation-safe.
274        fn propose(
275            &mut self,
276            context: (E, Self::Context),
277            ancestry: impl Ancestry<Self::Block>,
278        ) -> impl Future<Output = Option<Self::Block>> + Send;
279
280        /// Verify a block produced by the application's proposer, relative to its ancestry.
281        ///
282        /// This future should not resolve until the implementation can produce a stable verdict.
283        /// Return `false` only when the block is permanently invalid for the supplied context and
284        /// ancestry. If validity may still change as additional information becomes available,
285        /// continue waiting instead of returning `false`.
286        ///
287        /// In other words, to abstain from voting, do not resolve this future yet. Keep it
288        /// pending until the implementation can either prove the block valid, prove it invalid,
289        /// or the consensus engine cancels the request. Abstaining is not represented by a
290        /// special return value.
291        ///
292        /// This future may be cancelled before it completes. Implementations must be
293        /// cancellation-safe.
294        fn verify(
295            &mut self,
296            context: (E, Self::Context),
297            ancestry: impl Ancestry<Self::Block>,
298        ) -> impl Future<Output = bool> + Send;
299    }
300});