netsukuku/doc/main_doc/ntk_rfc/Ntk_andna_counter_pubk

== NTK_RFC 0007 ==


Subject: ANDNA counter system based on public key

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This text describes a change to the counter_gnode system in ANDNA.
It will be included in the final documentation, so feel free to correct it.
But if you want to change the system here described, please contact us first.
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{{{
The counter_gnode is used to prevent massive registrations of hnames by a
single node, however there is a bug in the actual protocol.

Currently the IP of the counter_gnode is the hash of the public key of the
register node.

The public key is part of the key pair used by the register_node to register
and update its hnames, therefore there should be only one key pair for each
node.

However, nothing prevents the register node to create multiple key pairs,
modify the ntkd code and use them at the same time. 
With this technique, the register node can have a new counter_gnode for each
new generated key pair, avoiding in this way the registration limit.

The solution is to calculate the IP of the counter_gnode using the hash of the
IP of the register_node. This method was previously proposed but it was
discarded because every time the register_node changes IP it will have a new
counter_gnode. The new counter_gnode cannot know how many hnames the
register_node registered before so it will accept all the new requests, but in
reality, this is not a problem, in fact, the new counter_gnode can accept only
256 hnames, thus the limit is maintained.
}}}

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related: ["Netsukuku RFC"]