nimbus-eth2/beacon_chain/gossip_processing
Etan Kissling 48994f67d3
rename `BlockError` -> `VerifierError` (#4310)
We currently use `BlockError` for both beacon blocks and LC objects.
In light of EIP4844, we will likely also use it for blob sidecars.
To avoid confusion, renaming it to a more generic `VerifierError`,
and update its documentation to be more generic.

To avoid long lines as a followup, also renaming the `block_processor`'s
`BlockProcessingCompleted.completed`->`ProcessingStatus.completed` and
`BlockProcessingCompleted.notCompleted`->`ProcessingStatus.notCompleted`
2022-11-10 17:40:27 +00:00
..
README.md initial automated v1.2.0 -> v1.3.0-alpha.0 consensus spec URL update (#4296) 2022-11-08 02:37:28 +00:00
batch_validation.nim cache shuffling separately from other EpochRef data (fixes #2677) (#3990) 2022-08-18 21:07:01 +03:00
block_processor.nim rename `BlockError` -> `VerifierError` (#4310) 2022-11-10 17:40:27 +00:00
eth2_processor.nim initial automated v1.2.0 -> v1.3.0-alpha.0 consensus spec URL update (#4296) 2022-11-08 02:37:28 +00:00
gossip_validation.nim initial automated v1.2.0 -> v1.3.0-alpha.0 consensus spec URL update (#4296) 2022-11-08 02:37:28 +00:00
light_client_processor.nim rename `BlockError` -> `VerifierError` (#4310) 2022-11-10 17:40:27 +00:00
optimistic_processor.nim rm optimistic candidate block check from LC (#4131) 2022-09-17 00:42:19 +00:00

README.md

Gossip Processing

This folder holds a collection of modules to:

  • validate raw gossip data before
    • rebroadcasting it (potentially aggregated)
    • sending it to one of the consensus object pools

Validation

Gossip validation is different from consensus verification in particular for blocks.

There are multiple consumers of validated consensus objects:

  • a ValidationResult.Accept output triggers rebroadcasting in libp2p
    • We jump into method validate(PubSub, Message) in libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsub.nim
    • which was called by rpcHandler(GossipSub, PubSubPeer, RPCMsg)
  • a blockValidator message enqueues the validated object to the processing queue in block_processor
    • blockQueue: AsyncQueue[BlockEntry] (shared with request_manager and sync_manager)
    • This queue is then regularly processed to be made available to the consensus object pools.
  • a xyzValidator message adds the validated object to a pool in eth2_processor
    • Attestations (unaggregated and aggregated) get collected into batches.
    • Once a threshold is exceeded or after a timeout, they get validated together using BatchCrypto.

Security concerns

As the first line of defense in Nimbus, modules must be able to handle bursts of data that may come:

  • from malicious nodes trying to DOS us
  • from long periods of non-finality, creating lots of forks, attestations