diff --git a/src/broadcast.rs b/src/broadcast.rs index 7351539..883ff6f 100644 --- a/src/broadcast.rs +++ b/src/broadcast.rs @@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ //! //! The Reliable Broadcast Protocol assumes a network of `N` nodes that send signed messages to //! each other, with at most `f` of them faulty, where `3 * f < N`. Handling the networking and -//! signing is the responsibility of this crate's user: only when a message has been verified to be -//! "from node i", it can be handed to the `Broadcast` instance. One of the nodes is the "proposer" -//! who sends a value. Under the above conditions, the protocol guarantees that either all or none +//! signing is the responsibility of this crate's user; a message is only handed to the Broadcast +//! instance after it has been verified to be "from node i". One of the nodes is the "proposer" +//! who sends a value. It needs to be determined beforehand, and all nodes need to know and agree +//! who it is. Under the above conditions, the protocol guarantees that either all or none //! of the correct nodes output a value, and that if the proposer is correct, all correct nodes //! output the proposed value. //! @@ -19,15 +20,16 @@ //! contains the `i`-th share of my value." //! * Every (correct) node that receives `Value(pi)` from the proposer sends it on to everyone else //! as `Echo(pi)`. An `Echo` translates to: "I have received `pi` directly from the proposer." If -//! the proposer sends another `Value` message, that is ignored. -//! * So every node that has received at least `f + 1` `Echo` messages with the same root -//! hash will be able to decode a value. +//! the proposer sends another `Value` message it is ignored. +//! * So every node that receives at least `f + 1` `Echo` messages with the same root hash can +//! decode a value. //! * Every node that has received `N - f` `Echo`s with the same root hash from different nodes //! knows that at least `f + 1` _correct_ nodes have sent an `Echo` with that hash to everyone, and //! therefore everyone will eventually receive at least `f + 1` of them. So upon receiving `N - f` -//! `Echo`s, they send a `Ready(h)` to everyone to indicate that. `Ready` translates to: "I know -//! that everyone will eventually be able to decode the value." Moreover, since every correct node -//! only ever sends one kind of `Echo` message, this cannot happen for two different root hashes. +//! `Echo`s, they send a `Ready(h)` to everyone. It translates to: "I know that everyone will +//! eventually be able to decode the value with root hash `h`." Moreover, since every correct node +//! only sends one kind of `Echo` message, there is no danger of receiving `N - f` `Echo`s with two +//! different root hashes. //! * Even without enough `Echo` messages, if a node receives `f + 1` `Ready` messages, it knows //! that at least one _correct_ node has sent `Ready`. It therefore also knows that everyone will //! be able to decode eventually, and multicasts `Ready` itself.