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kad-dht/README: Document client mode (#392)

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This commit documents the DHT client mode, keeping routing tables clear
of clients (laptops), while still allowing clients to utilize the
functionality of the DHT.
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Max Inden
2022-02-15 15:12:06 +01:00
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@@ -68,6 +68,34 @@ The concurrency of node and value lookups are limited by parameter `α`, with a
default value of 3. This implies that each lookup process can perform no more
than 3 inflight requests, at any given time.
## Client and server mode
When the libp2p Kademlia protocol is run on top of a network of heterogeneous
nodes, unrestricted nodes should operate in _server mode_ and restricted nodes,
e.g. those with intermittent availability, high latency, low bandwidth, low
CPU/RAM/Storage, etc., should operate in _client mode_.
As an example, running the libp2p Kademlia protocol on top of the Internet,
publicly routable nodes, e.g. servers in a datacenter, might operate in _server
mode_ and non-publicly routable nodes, e.g. laptops behind a NAT and firewall,
might operate in _client mode_. The concrete factors used to classify nodes into
_clients_ and _servers_ depend on the characteristics of the network topology
and the properties of the Kademlia DHT . Factors to take into account are e.g.
network size, replication factor and republishing period.
Nodes, both those operating in _client_ and _server mode_, add another node to
their routing table if and only if that node operates in _server mode_. This
distinction allows restricted nodes to utilize the DHT, i.e. query the DHT,
without decreasing the quality of the distributed hash table, i.e. without
polluting the routing tables.
Nodes operating in _server mode_ advertise the libp2p Kademlia protocol
identifier via the [identify protocol](../identify/README.md). In addition
_server mode_ nodes accept incoming streams using the Kademlia protocol
identifier. Nodes operating in _client mode_ do not advertise support for the
libp2p Kademlia protocol identifier. In addition they do not offer the Kademlia
protocol identifier for incoming streams.
## DHT operations
The libp2p Kademlia DHT offers the following types of operations: