3.4.5 Heartbeat Protocol

The Heartbeat protocol is a vital component of the DGT (Distributed Governance Technology) network, ensuring stability and reliability. It facilitates regular communication and synchronization among network nodes through heartbeat messages exchanged at predefined intervals. Here is an overview of the protocol's key features:

• Network Health Monitoring:

  • Nodes use heartbeat messages to monitor the connectivity and availability of other nodes.

  • Detects network issues such as node failures or partitions, enabling prompt actions to maintain network stability.

• Time Synchronization:

  • Heartbeat messages include timestamps, allowing nodes to synchronize their local clocks.

  • Ensures a consistent view of time across the network, enabling accurate timestamping of transactions and event sequencing.

• Network Healing:

  • Heartbeat protocol helps detect network partitions.

  • Nodes employ recovery mechanisms to restore connectivity and maintain network integrity.

• Leader Election and Rotation:

  • Heartbeat information assists in leader election and smooth transitions during leader changes, particularly in multi-Leader BFT consensus algorithms.

  • The implementation of the Heartbeat protocol in the DGT network is decentralized and utilizes events associated with the DAG. Here are the main aspects of its implementation:

• Comprehensive Coverage:

  • Each cluster's leader initiates a heartbeat transaction at the next branch in the DAG, ensuring coverage across network nodes.

  • Heartbeat evaluation is tied to DAG events, providing accurate assessment during transaction acceptance.

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs):

  • Nodes participating in consensus account for SLAs, primarily within the private network segment.

  • Even if transactional activity is unevenly distributed, all clusters synchronize their DAGs through arbitrators, supporting heartbeat transactions.

• Frequency and Parameters:

  • Heartbeat frequency depends on network activity and is influenced by the "dgt.dag.step" parameter defined in the genesis block.

  • Additional limitations can be set using the period parameter specific to heartbeat transactions.

• Enabling Heartbeat Mode:

  • Set the "dgt.dec.heartbeat=1" parameter in the genesis block and activate the DEC transaction family service.

  • The heartbeat transaction is executed by the F-BFT consensus engine, signed with the validator node's associated key.

  • Only registered nodes, serving as voting leaders in private clusters, are evaluated for SLAs and future network maintenance rewards.