The Current Architecture of tProxy

Oct 13, 2025 by thesweetdesigns.com 13 views

Introduction

tProxy is a crucial component in the Tezos network, acting as a bridge between the Tezos mainnet (Sv1) and the Tezos testnet (Sv2). However, a recent observation has highlighted a significant limitation in the current architecture of tProxy. Specifically, tProxy is not able to reject shares, which is a critical functionality that is essential for maintaining the integrity and security of the network. In this article, we will delve into the reasons behind this limitation, explore the ideal behavior for tProxy, and discuss potential solutions to adapt tProxy to the desired behavior.

The Current Architecture of tProxy

The current architecture of tProxy is designed to handle the mining.submit message from the Sv1 network. When a share is submitted, the handle_submit function is triggered, which sends the share into the tx_sv1_bridge channel in a "fire-and-forget" style. This means that the function does not have any context about the response from the upstream, making it impossible for tProxy to reject shares if the upstream rejects them.

The Ideal Behavior for tProxy

The ideal behavior for tProxy is to reply with "result": true if the Sv2 upstream accepts the share and "result": false if the Sv2 upstream rejects the share. This behavior is essential for maintaining the integrity and security of the network, as it allows for the rejection of invalid or malicious shares.

The Current Limitation and Its Consequences

The current limitation of tProxy is a significant issue, as it prevents the network from rejecting shares that are not valid or are malicious. This can lead to a range of consequences, including:

Security Risks: The inability to reject shares can lead to security risks, as malicious actors can submit invalid or malicious shares that can compromise the network.
Network Congestion: The rejection of shares can help to prevent network congestion, as invalid or malicious shares can consume valuable resources and slow down the network.
Inefficient Resource Allocation: The inability to reject shares can lead to inefficient resource allocation, as the network may be forced to allocate resources to process invalid or malicious shares.

Adapting tProxy to the Ideal Behavior

Adapting tProxy to the ideal behavior is not trivial, as it would require deep architecture changes. However, there are several potential solutions that can be explored:

Modify the handle_submit function: The handle_submit function can be modified to include context about the response from the upstream, allowing tProxy to reject shares if the upstream rejects them.
Introduce a new channel: A new channel can be introduced to handle the response from the upstream, allowing tProxy to reject shares if the upstream rejects them.
Use a different architecture: A different architecture can be used, such as a more centralized architecture, to allow for the rejection of shares.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the current limitation of tProxy is a significant issue that needs to be addressed. The ideal behavior for tProxy is to reply with "result": true if the Sv2 upstream accepts the share and "result": false if the Sv2 upstream rejects the share. Adapting tProxy to the ideal behavior is not trivial, but there are several potential solutions that can be explored. By addressing this limitation, we can improve the security, efficiency, and integrity of the Tezos network.

Future Work

Future work on this issue will involve:

Designing a new architecture: A new architecture will be designed to allow for the rejection of shares.
Implementing the new architecture: The new architecture will be implemented, and the handle_submit function will be modified to include context about the response from the upstream.
Testing the new architecture: The new architecture will be tested to ensure that it meets the desired behavior.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of the Tezos community, particularly the developers who have worked on tProxy. Their efforts have been instrumental in highlighting the limitation of tProxy and exploring potential solutions.

References

#1561: Feature limitation on tProxy's README.md
Tezos documentation: tProxy

Appendix

The following is a list of potential solutions that can be explored to adapt tProxy to the ideal behavior:

Modify the handle_submit function: The handle_submit function can be modified to include context about the response from the upstream, allowing tProxy to reject shares if the upstream rejects them.
Introduce a new channel: A new channel can be introduced to handle the response from the upstream, allowing tProxy to reject shares if the upstream rejects them.
Use a different architecture: A different architecture can be used, such as a more centralized architecture, to allow for the rejection of shares.
tProxy is not able to reject shares: Q&A =====================================

Q: What is the current limitation of tProxy?

A: The current limitation of tProxy is that it is not able to reject shares. This means that if the upstream (Sv2) rejects a share, tProxy will not be able to reply with a negative response, such as "result": false.

Q: Why is this limitation a problem?

A: This limitation is a problem because it prevents the network from rejecting shares that are not valid or are malicious. This can lead to security risks, network congestion, and inefficient resource allocation.

Q: What is the ideal behavior for tProxy?

A: The ideal behavior for tProxy is to reply with "result": true if the Sv2 upstream accepts the share and "result": false if the Sv2 upstream rejects the share.

Q: Why is adapting tProxy to the ideal behavior not trivial?

A: Adapting tProxy to the ideal behavior is not trivial because it would require deep architecture changes. The current architecture of tProxy is designed to handle the mining.submit message from the Sv1 network in a "fire-and-forget" style, which makes it difficult to include context about the response from the upstream.

Q: What are some potential solutions to adapt tProxy to the ideal behavior?

A: Some potential solutions to adapt tProxy to the ideal behavior include:

Modify the handle_submit function: The handle_submit function can be modified to include context about the response from the upstream, allowing tProxy to reject shares if the upstream rejects them.
Introduce a new channel: A new channel can be introduced to handle the response from the upstream, allowing tProxy to reject shares if the upstream rejects them.
Use a different architecture: A different architecture can be used, such as a more centralized architecture, to allow for the rejection of shares.

Q: What are the benefits of adapting tProxy to the ideal behavior?

A: The benefits of adapting tProxy to the ideal behavior include:

Improved security: By rejecting shares that are not valid or are malicious, tProxy can help to improve the security of the network.
Reduced network congestion: By rejecting shares that are not valid or are malicious, tProxy can help to reduce network congestion.
More efficient resource allocation: By rejecting shares that are not valid or are malicious, tProxy can help to allocate resources more efficiently.

Q: What is the next step in adapting tProxy to the ideal behavior?

A: The next step in adapting tProxy to the ideal behavior is to design a new architecture that allows for the rejection of shares. This will involve modifying the handle_submit function to include context about the response from the upstream, introducing a new channel to handle the response from the upstream, or using a different architecture.

Q: How can I contribute to the development of tProxy?

A: You can contribute to the development of tProxy by:

Reporting bugs: If you find any bugs in tProxy, you can report them to the development team.
Suggesting features: If you have any suggestions for features that you would like to see in tProxy, you can suggest them to the development team.
Contributing code: If you have any code that you would like to contribute to tProxy, you can submit a pull request to the development team.

Q: Where can I find more information about tProxy?

A: You can find more information about tProxy on the Tezos documentation website. Specifically, you can find information about tProxy on the tProxy page.