ULedgerNET Network Architecture

Overview

ULedgerNET implements a decentralized peer-to-peer network using a modular P2P networking stack. This provides robust peer discovery, secure communication, and efficient message propagation.

Network Stack

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Peer Discovery

Distributed Hash Table (DHT)

ULedgerNET uses a Distributed Hash Table for peer discovery:

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Discovery Flow

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Messaging System

Pub/Sub (Gossip Protocol)

The primary mechanism for broadcasting messages across the network:

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Message Propagation

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Direct Streams

For point-to-point communication (e.g., data sync, timestamp requests):

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Network Message Structure

Message Format

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Message Types

Type	Direction	Purpose
MSG_PUBLISH	Broadcast	General pub/sub messages
MSG_REQUEST_DATA	Direct	Request specific data
MSG_RESPOND_DATA	Direct	Response to data request
MSG_REQUEST_TIMESTAMP	Direct	Get peer's timestamp
MSG_RESPOND_TIMESTAMP	Direct	Return current timestamp
MSG_REQUEST_TOPICS	Direct	Exchange topic subscriptions
MSG_RESPOND_TOPICS	Direct	Return subscribed topics

Timestamping Protocol

Distributed Timestamp Agreement

ULedgerNET uses peer timestamps to establish transaction ordering:

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Time Parameters

Parameter	Value	Description
Max Peers	5	Maximum peers queried for timestamps
Timeout	10s	Timestamp request timeout
Max Median Diff	5s	Maximum allowed time difference

Node Synchronization

Reconciliation Process

When a new node joins or recovers from a partition:

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Sync Request Types

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Peer Management

Peer Store

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Peer Lifecycle

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Connection Handling

New Connection Flow

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Disconnection Handling

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Network Security

Transport Security

Feature	Implementation
Encryption	TLS 1.3 / Noise Protocol
Authentication	Peer ID derived from public key
Identity	Ed25519 network keys

Protocol Security

Feature	Implementation
Message Signing	All blockchain messages signed
Replay Protection	Unique request IDs
Spam Prevention	Message validation at protocol layer

Configuration

P2P Configuration

{
  "p2pConfig": {
    "port": 4001,
    "bootstrapPeers": [
      "/ip4/x.x.x.x/tcp/4001/p2p/QmXXX...",
      "/dnsaddr/bootstrap.uledger.io/p2p/QmYYY..."
    ],
    "dhtServer": true,
    "enableRelay": false
  }
}

Configuration Parameters

Parameter	Description	Default
port	P2P listening port	4001
bootstrapPeers	Initial peers for discovery	[]
dhtServer	Act as DHT server	true
enableRelay	Enable relay for NAT traversal	false

Network Topology

Typical Deployment

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