Introduction

RoundTable is an infrastructure project built on libp2p and Solana

It provides a browser compatible library, server and smart contract to manage a simple decentralised P2P messaging system.

The aim of RoundTable is to provide a messaging layer allowing browser to browser messaging between users of Dapps

But what is it?

A RoundTable deployment

A RoundTable deployment consists of a set of bootstrap servers, a configuration managed by the network operators, a set of user accounts created by users, and user clients running in the users browsers. Note that whilst a basic front end is included in the round-table-react project, the general intention is for people to build the round-table library into their own applications backends.

Bootstrap servers

Bootstrap servers must be setup with https certs and domains. They must run the Server application, specifying their local hostname and the Owner address of the deployment. The server fetches the network configuration from the blockchain based on the Owner address, starts sharing the specified channels and connects to the other bootstrap servers. The server is a thin wrapper around libp2p integrating with some solana functionality via web3.js.

Clients

Clients are an instance of RoundTable running in any context, they use the Owner address of the deployment to connect to to get the bootstrap server list and connect to the network. The library is suitable to run in browsers. The core functionality provided by RountTable is a basic chat system, presence indication showing who is connected to the network, and a matching engine, to allow groups on the network looking for a particular thing to find each other

But why is it?

Blockchains are very good at storing state and having rules governing the modification of state. They aren't very good for sending messages. Even with Solana transactions being significantly faster than many other chains, managing processes which involve a "back and forth" between parties can be very slow. The natural answer is to pair a fast messaging layer with a safe blockchain layer for settlement, aiming to strike a balance where applications are both fast and secure.

There are very easy answers to this problem, simply use a centralised server, and the server posts the results to the chain. This is a tried and tested method, but it is not decentralised. If the server goes down the application will no longer function. In the worst case, the centralised server can act dishonestly such as preventing messages being propogated, and if messages themselves are not signed manipulate these too.

In general the centralised messaging pattern does not mesh well with the decentralised nature of the blockchain, at best erasing some of its benefits. This makes it desirable to solve the problem in a more decentralised manner.

But why is RoundTable more decentralised?

Whilst a roundtable deployment still relies on bootstrap servers, the servers themselves and bootstrap list can be managed by a community or a DAO. The network management contract can be called from another contract via CPI allowing the parent contract to put further rules on managing bootstrap servers, channels and user accounts, and to use multi sig for some actions.

Because the servers and clients work by fetching the network configuration from the smart contract the centralised element of the network is stored on the decentralised blockchain.

And because the server itself is open code, anyone can run a bootstrap server, and it is down to the community managing the deployment to add them to the bootstrap list or not. The bootstraps can be removed to, should one go offline, or perhaps not have been performing or behaving well.

Ok but how is it?

Almost all the heavy lifting in RoundTable has already been done by the creators of Solana and libp2p (Spun off from IPFS by Protocol Labs)

RoundTable just provides a thin management shim and exposes a particular set of functionality, tying the two together and adding a couple of protocols.

All the messaging is performed using libp2ps pubsub functionality, with protocols running on their own channel[s].

Current State

Features

P2P

Basic chat function
Presence broadcasts and manager
Track and provide API for present users
Make messaging ID tied to solana wallet
Build matching protocol and engine
- Allow matches with greater than 2 participants
Get bootstrap list from smart contract
Check pubkey in messages matches channel key
- (The libp2p key and solana wallet key are separate. Must at least verify keys match accounts, should probably build an address book from the chain data?)

Smart contract

Allow creation of a "table"
Allow table to have a list of bootstrap servers
Allow table to have a list of channels
Allow users to create a "seat" at a table
Optionally require the signature of a table when adding users (so parent contract can choose who can join)
CLI tool for managing contract
- Make user friendly

Relay server

js-libp2p bootstrap server
server can pin channels from smart contract
server can get bootstrap list from smart contract
server can filter connections so only users with account can join
- Implement a ConnectionGater in the libp2p config which checks the chain to see if a channelKey belongs to a user and can join the network
Docker image and instructions to bring up round-table servers, or create a sibling network
Make accept config file with overriding arguments

Examples

Clone network bringup tutorial
Managing RoundTable via another smart contract via CPI (make a closed network)

round-table-react

Repo here

Chat function demo
Presence demo
Matching demo
Make Beautiful
- (Learn to actually be OK at web front end design to be able to do this)
  - (pls help)

Future features

POMS? (Proof of message sent, rollup all messages into blocks, post merkle root to chain and.. is this Circom?)
Standard user profile format for more detailed profiles?

Smart contract examples

Interact with the smart contract via the tool in util/contract_api. My apologies there is no proper documentation in this tool yet and the CLI is not nice

For the following examples the participants are:

Table owner: 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp
User: DRSRtpAcN9emERXqjVLtLb5iCWDWt9VJ2LzVpUfuuKZ8
Users P2P ID: ``
Table and user keys are stored at contract/keys/table1.json and contract/keys/user1.json

Fetching data

## Get Bootstrap and channels data
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts getTableData 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp

## Get the data for a user (seat)
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts getSeatData 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp DRSRtpAcN9emERXqjVLtLb5iCWDWt9VJ2LzVpUfuuKZ8

Updating data

# Create a new deployment (Table)
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts createTable contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp

# Add a bootstrap server
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts deleteTable contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp

# Add a bootstrap server
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addBootstrap contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp "/dns4/bs2.mike7c2.co.uk/tcp/443/wss/ipfs/QmVV9hEB5qrNeXwLtyVzbjHZQkCdjQbmvai6PdfrSoEJLM"

# Delete a bootstrap server
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts deleteBootstrap contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp DRSRtpAcN9emERXqjVLtLb5iCWDWt9VJ2LzVpUfuuKZ8 "/dns4/bs2.mike7c2.co.uk/tcp/443/wss/ipfs/QmVV9hEB5qrNeXwLtyVzbjHZQkCdjQbmvai6PdfrSoEJLM"

# Add a channel
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addChannel contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp "round-table-chat"

# Delete a channel
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts deleteChannel contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp DRSRtpAcN9emERXqjVLtLb5iCWDWt9VJ2LzVpUfuuKZ8 "round-table-chat"

# Add a user (seat)
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addSeat contract/keys/user1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp HcYtHzvQU8uBZQpYB7ScrmK3YLzosjQQMgMBiwBLnkGj

# Remove a user
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts deleteSeat contract/keys/user1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp

Actually bringing up a network

Same keys as before ^^

# Generate bootstrap server IDs
/// tbd

# Add bootstrap servers
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addBootstrap contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp "/dns4/bs1.mike7c2.co.uk/tcp/443/wss/ipfs/QmVV9hEB5qrNeXwLtyVzbjHZQkCdjQbmvai6PdfrSoEJLM"
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addBootstrap contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp "/dns4/bs2.mike7c2.co.uk/tcp/443/wss/ipfs/QmaU5jGgNEd3K24rizpYNTZRQ33BxgR6FjhY4d2HdK55of"
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addBootstrap contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp "/dns4/bs3.mike7c2.co.uk/tcp/443/wss/ipfs/QmRpSSWmXuGAzovXkEGh4EAH5V8x1Uo4UTEfSjWEjRJcyr"

# Add core channels 

npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addChannel contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp round-table-chat
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addChannel contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp round-table-presence
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addChannel contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp round-table-match-ack
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addChannel contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp round-table-match-claim
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addChannel contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp round-table-match-advertise
npx ts-node util/contract_api.ts addChannel contract/keys/table1.json 69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp round-table-match-unadvertise

_Note that a project adding further protocols would add more channels here for their protocols_

Now bringup bootstrap servers (on each server run one instance!), for bs1 server:

npx ts-node test/test_server.tsx bs1.json GKcVqYPMDUUk887AuPZ4DSu2Rt8MHV1wwZFvhMKKBUw4 localhost https://api.devnet.solana.com 8080 true

Clients can now join the network, by instantiating RoundTable with the correct configuration

    const connection: Connection = new Connection("https://api.devnet.solana.com")
    const tableOwner: PublicKey = new PublicKey("69GoySbK6vc9QyWsCYTMUjpQXCocbDJansszPTEaEtMp")
    const id: PublicKey = new PublicKey("DRSRtpAcN9emERXqjVLtLb5iCWDWt9VJ2LzVpUfuuKZ8")
    const channelId: Keypair = new Keypair();
    const netName: string = "round-table"

    const table = await initRoundTable(
        connection,
        id,
        channelId,
        tableOwner,
        netName
    )

Examples

For now check out the tests in test/ which excercise the core interfaces for the Matcher, Chat, and Presence protocols. Also refer to their implementations,pub and sub are exposed via the RoundTable instace to make it easy to build extra protocols on top of a RoundNet deployment.

Misc notes

Running in browser

The biggest road block to running in the browser is that it can only make https connections. This means it must connect to the bootstrap server with WSS or web sockets secure. As the relay server only exposes raw WS we must use nginx to reverse proxy and provide https.

An example config looks like this (note, https certs managed via certbot)

worker_processes  1;

events {
    worker_connections  1024;
}

http {
    include       mime.types;
    default_type  application/octet-stream;

    sendfile        on;

    keepalive_timeout  65;

    map $http_upgrade $connection_upgrade {
        default upgrade;
        '' close;
    }
    server {
        server_name  bs2.mike7c2.co.uk;

        location / {
            proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
            proxy_http_version 1.1;
            proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
            proxy_set_header Connection $connection_upgrade;
            proxy_set_header Host $host;
        }
    
        error_page   500 502 503 504  /50x.html;
        location = /50x.html {
            root   html;
        }
    
        listen 80; # managed by Certbot

        listen 443 ssl; # managed by Certbot
        ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/bs2.mike7c2.co.uk/fullchain.pem; # managed by Certbot
        ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/bs2.mike7c2.co.uk/privkey.pem; # managed by Certbot
        include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-nginx.conf; # managed by Certbot
        ssl_dhparam /etc/letsencrypt/ssl-dhparams.pem; # managed by Certbot
    }
}

Keys keys keys

Solana identity keys

Keypairs have been shamelessly included in this repo. This is currently a proof of concept with a set of predefined keys to let people have a poke around. Be nice, and don't make me learn a lesson :D

Channel Key

Note the concept of a channel key - the key used to connect to libp2p is different to the solana wallet pubkey (this is very important, as it wouldt not be elegant for users to need to acknowledge the signature for every communication on the network). Currently the channel key is derived by signing a particular value with the users wallet. This creates a channel key which is always the same for a give publickey, but this mechanism is not very secure. If anyone can trick a user into signing the seed value, they can get the users public key. Further investigation is required here to manage this. (Actively seeking suggestions!).

The smart contract is written such that "any" channel key can be used, it is only the client basing the channel key on the users wallet - this was done as it makes it simple for the user to have the same channel identity with only their wallet setup.

Smart contract

Note that the smart contract is very simple. It uses a single static field of bytes and a ; delimited string to separate channel and bootstrap instances. It performs no validation whatsoever. A production version of the smart contract should be more robost here.

mike7c2/round-table

Introduction

But what is it?

A RoundTable deployment

Bootstrap servers

Clients

But why is it?

But why is RoundTable more decentralised?

Ok but how is it?

Current State

Features

P2P

Smart contract

Relay server

Examples

round-table-react

Future features

Smart contract examples

Fetching data

Updating data

Actually bringing up a network

Examples

Misc notes

Running in browser

Keys keys keys

Solana identity keys

Channel Key

Smart contract