Slow

Slow is a decentralized network communication library written in Rust, designed for resilient, peer-to-peer package routing with built-in mesh networking capabilities.

Overview

Slow provides a framework for creating and managing network junctions that can communicate with each other through a mesh topology. The library supports automatic route discovery, package forwarding, and reliable message delivery across distributed nodes.

Key Features

• Mesh Network Topology: Nodes (junctions) can discover and communicate with each other without central coordination
• Automatic Route Discovery: Optimizes message delivery paths through the network
• Multiple Package Types: Supports various types of data payloads (JSON, Binary, Control messages)
• Hop-based Forwarding: Limits package propagation through configurable hop counts
• Resilient Communication: Designed to maintain connectivity in dynamic network conditions

Core Components

Junction

The central networking entity that:

• Manages connections with other junctions
• Routes packages through the network
• Maintains a routing table for optimized delivery
• Processes incoming and outgoing messages

Package

Data container with:

• Headers for routing information
• Support for JSON and binary payloads
• Built-in hop counting to prevent infinite loops

Socket

Low-level component that:

• Handles network I/O operations
• Serializes/deserializes packages for transmission

Route Table

Maintains efficient routing information:

• Tracks best paths to other junctions
• Updates dynamically based on network conditions

Usage Examples

Basic usage involves creating junctions, connecting them to form a network, and sending messages between them:

// Create a new junction
let junction = SlowJunction::new(socket_addr, junction_id).await?;

// Join an existing network by connecting to a known node
junction.join(seed_addr).await;

// Send a JSON message to another junction
junction.send(json_value, &recipient_id).await;

// Receive messages
if let Some(packet) = junction.recv().await {
    // Process received JSON packet
}

Building and Testing

This project uses Cargo for building and testing:

cargo build
cargo test

License

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