specs/identify

Identify v1.0.0

The identify protocol is used to identify a peer and its capabilities.

The protocol works by opening a stream, using /ipfs/id/1.0.0 as the protocol string. The peer being identified responds by returning an Identify message and closes the stream.

The Identify Message

message Identify {
  optional string protocolVersion = 5;
  optional string agentVersion = 6;
  optional bytes publicKey = 1;
  repeated bytes listenAddrs = 2;
  optional bytes observedAddr = 4;
  repeated string protocols = 3;
}

protocolVersion

The protocol version identifies the family of protocols used by the peer. The current protocol version is ipfs/0.1.0; if the protocol does not match the protocol used by the initiating peer, then the connection is considered unusable and the peer must close the connection.

agentVersion

This is a free-form string, identifying the implementation of the peer.

publicKey

This is the public key of the peer, marshalled in binary form as specicfied in peer-ids.

listenAddrs

These are the addresses on which the peer is listening as multi-addresses.

observedAddr

This is the connection source address of the stream initiating peer as observed by the peer being identified; it is a multi-address. The initiator can use this address to infer the existence of a NAT and its public address.

protocols

This is a list of protocols supported by the peer.