eth: propagate blocks and transactions async

eth/handler.go

@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) BroadcastBlock(block *types.Block, propagate bool) {
 		// Send the block to a subset of our peers
 		transfer := peers[:int(math.Sqrt(float64(len(peers))))]
 		for _, peer := range transfer {
-			peer.SendNewBlock(block, td)
+			peer.AsyncSendNewBlock(block, td)
 		}
 		log.Trace("Propagated block", "hash", hash, "recipients", len(transfer), "duration", common.PrettyDuration(time.Since(block.ReceivedAt)))
 		return
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) BroadcastBlock(block *types.Block, propagate bool) {
 	// Otherwise if the block is indeed in out own chain, announce it
 	if pm.blockchain.HasBlock(hash, block.NumberU64()) {
 		for _, peer := range peers {
-			peer.SendNewBlockHashes([]common.Hash{hash}, []uint64{block.NumberU64()})
+			peer.AsyncSendNewBlockHash(block)
 		}
 		log.Trace("Announced block", "hash", hash, "recipients", len(peers), "duration", common.PrettyDuration(time.Since(block.ReceivedAt)))
 	}
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ func (pm *ProtocolManager) BroadcastTxs(txs types.Transactions) {
 	}
 	// FIXME include this again: peers = peers[:int(math.Sqrt(float64(len(peers))))]
 	for peer, txs := range txset {
-		peer.SendTransactions(txs)
+		peer.AsyncSendTransactions(txs)
 	}
 }
 

eth/peer.go

@@ -37,8 +37,24 @@ var (
 )
 
 const (
-	maxKnownTxs      = 32768 // Maximum transactions hashes to keep in the known list (prevent DOS)
-	maxKnownBlocks   = 1024  // Maximum block hashes to keep in the known list (prevent DOS)
+	maxKnownTxs    = 32768 // Maximum transactions hashes to keep in the known list (prevent DOS)
+	maxKnownBlocks = 1024  // Maximum block hashes to keep in the known list (prevent DOS)
+
+	// maxQueuedTxs is the maximum number of transaction lists to queue up before
+	// dropping broadcasts. This is a sensitive number as a transaction list might
+	// contain a single transaction, or thousands.
+	maxQueuedTxs = 128
+
+	// maxQueuedProps is the maximum number of block propagations to queue up before
+	// dropping broadcasts. There's not much point in queueing stale blocks, so a few
+	// that might cover uncles should be enough.
+	maxQueuedProps = 4
+
+	// maxQueuedAnns is the maximum number of block announcements to queue up before
+	// dropping broadcasts. Similarly to block propagations, there's no point to queue
+	// above some healthy uncle limit, so use that.
+	maxQueuedAnns = 4
+
 	handshakeTimeout = 5 * time.Second
 )
 
@@ -50,6 +66,12 @@ type PeerInfo struct {
 	Head       string   `json:"head"`       // SHA3 hash of the peer's best owned block
 }
 
+// propEvent is a block propagation, waiting for its turn in the broadcast queue.
+type propEvent struct {
+	block *types.Block
+	td    *big.Int
+}
+
 type peer struct {
 	id string
 
@@ -63,23 +85,64 @@ type peer struct {
 	td   *big.Int
 	lock sync.RWMutex
 
-	knownTxs    *set.Set // Set of transaction hashes known to be known by this peer
-	knownBlocks *set.Set // Set of block hashes known to be known by this peer
+	knownTxs    *set.Set                  // Set of transaction hashes known to be known by this peer
+	knownBlocks *set.Set                  // Set of block hashes known to be known by this peer
+	queuedTxs   chan []*types.Transaction // Queue of transactions to broadcast to the peer
+	queuedProps chan *propEvent           // Queue of blocks to broadcast to the peer
+	queuedAnns  chan *types.Block         // Queue of blocks to announce to the peer
+	term        chan struct{}             // Termination channel to stop the broadcaster
 }
 
 func newPeer(version int, p *p2p.Peer, rw p2p.MsgReadWriter) *peer {
-	id := p.ID()
-
 	return &peer{
 		Peer:        p,
 		rw:          rw,
 		version:     version,
-		id:          fmt.Sprintf("%x", id[:8]),
+		id:          fmt.Sprintf("%x", p.ID().Bytes()[:8]),
 		knownTxs:    set.New(),
 		knownBlocks: set.New(),
+		queuedTxs:   make(chan []*types.Transaction, maxQueuedTxs),
+		queuedProps: make(chan *propEvent, maxQueuedProps),
+		queuedAnns:  make(chan *types.Block, maxQueuedAnns),
+		term:        make(chan struct{}),
+	}
+}
+
+// broadcast is a write loop that multiplexes block propagations, announcements
+// and transaction broadcasts into the remote peer. The goal is to have an async
+// writer that does not lock up node internals.
+func (p *peer) broadcast() {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case txs := <-p.queuedTxs:
+			if err := p.SendTransactions(txs); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			p.Log().Trace("Broadcast transactions", "count", len(txs))
+
+		case prop := <-p.queuedProps:
+			if err := p.SendNewBlock(prop.block, prop.td); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			p.Log().Trace("Propagated block", "number", prop.block.Number(), "hash", prop.block.Hash(), "td", prop.td)
+
+		case block := <-p.queuedAnns:
+			if err := p.SendNewBlockHashes([]common.Hash{block.Hash()}, []uint64{block.NumberU64()}); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			p.Log().Trace("Announced block", "number", block.Number(), "hash", block.Hash())
+
+		case <-p.term:
+			return
+		}
 	}
 }
 
+// close signals the broadcast goroutine to terminate.
+func (p *peer) close() {
+	close(p.term)
+}
+
 // Info gathers and returns a collection of metadata known about a peer.
 func (p *peer) Info() *PeerInfo {
 	hash, td := p.Head()
@@ -139,6 +202,19 @@ func (p *peer) SendTransactions(txs types.Transactions) error {
 	return p2p.Send(p.rw, TxMsg, txs)
 }
 
+// AsyncSendTransactions queues list of transactions propagation to a remote
+// peer. If the peer's broadcast queue is full, the event is silently dropped.
+func (p *peer) AsyncSendTransactions(txs []*types.Transaction) {
+	select {
+	case p.queuedTxs <- txs:
+		for _, tx := range txs {
+			p.knownTxs.Add(tx.Hash())
+		}
+	default:
+		p.Log().Debug("Dropping transaction propagation", "count", len(txs))
+	}
+}
+
 // SendNewBlockHashes announces the availability of a number of blocks through
 // a hash notification.
 func (p *peer) SendNewBlockHashes(hashes []common.Hash, numbers []uint64) error {
@@ -153,12 +229,35 @@ func (p *peer) SendNewBlockHashes(hashes []common.Hash, numbers []uint64) error
 	return p2p.Send(p.rw, NewBlockHashesMsg, request)
 }
 
+// AsyncSendNewBlockHash queues the availability of a block for propagation to a
+// remote peer. If the peer's broadcast queue is full, the event is silently
+// dropped.
+func (p *peer) AsyncSendNewBlockHash(block *types.Block) {
+	select {
+	case p.queuedAnns <- block:
+		p.knownBlocks.Add(block.Hash())
+	default:
+		p.Log().Debug("Dropping block announcement", "number", block.NumberU64(), "hash", block.Hash())
+	}
+}
+
 // SendNewBlock propagates an entire block to a remote peer.
 func (p *peer) SendNewBlock(block *types.Block, td *big.Int) error {
 	p.knownBlocks.Add(block.Hash())
 	return p2p.Send(p.rw, NewBlockMsg, []interface{}{block, td})
 }
 
+// AsyncSendNewBlock queues an entire block for propagation to a remote peer. If
+// the peer's broadcast queue is full, the event is silently dropped.
+func (p *peer) AsyncSendNewBlock(block *types.Block, td *big.Int) {
+	select {
+	case p.queuedProps <- &propEvent{block: block, td: td}:
+		p.knownBlocks.Add(block.Hash())
+	default:
+		p.Log().Debug("Dropping block propagation", "number", block.NumberU64(), "hash", block.Hash())
+	}
+}
+
 // SendBlockHeaders sends a batch of block headers to the remote peer.
 func (p *peer) SendBlockHeaders(headers []*types.Header) error {
 	return p2p.Send(p.rw, BlockHeadersMsg, headers)
@@ -313,7 +412,8 @@ func newPeerSet() *peerSet {
 }
 
 // Register injects a new peer into the working set, or returns an error if the
-// peer is already known.
+// peer is already known. If a new peer it registered, its broadcast loop is also
+// started.
 func (ps *peerSet) Register(p *peer) error {
 	ps.lock.Lock()
 	defer ps.lock.Unlock()
@@ -325,6 +425,8 @@ func (ps *peerSet) Register(p *peer) error {
 		return errAlreadyRegistered
 	}
 	ps.peers[p.id] = p
+	go p.broadcast()
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -334,10 +436,13 @@ func (ps *peerSet) Unregister(id string) error {
 	ps.lock.Lock()
 	defer ps.lock.Unlock()
 
-	if _, ok := ps.peers[id]; !ok {
+	p, ok := ps.peers[id]
+	if !ok {
 		return errNotRegistered
 	}
 	delete(ps.peers, id)
+	p.close()
+
 	return nil
 }