RFC: js-ipfs profiles

[dirkmc]

A profile is a shorthand name for a set of configuration options. This issue is to discuss which profiles we should have in js-ipfs and how each one should affect the behaviour of js-ipfs.

go-ipfs profiles

The profiles available for go-ipfs are documented in its configuration README and implemented in profile.go. Those that apply to js-ipfs are:

• server / local-discovery (opposite of server)

  • Adds private / local / unrouteable addresses to
    • Addresses.NoAnnounce - prevents advertising these addresses to other peers
    • Swarm.AddrFilters - prevents dialing to these addresses
  • Sets Discovery.MDNS.Enabled to false
  • Sets Swarm.DisableNatPortMap to true

• test / default-networking (opposite of test)

  • Sets /ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/0 for
    • Addresses.API
    • Addresses.Gateway
    • Addresses.Swarm
  • Sets Discovery.MDNS.Enabled to false
  • Sets Swarm.DisableNatPortMap to true
  • Sets Bootstrap to [] - prevents bootstrapping with live nodes

• lowpower

  • Sets Routing.Type to dhtclient - puts DHT in "client only" mode
  • Sets Reprovider.Interval to 0 - prevents node from advertising what content it has
  • Sets Swarm.ConnMgr parameters - maintains low connection count
    • Swarm.ConnMgr.LowWater: 20
    • Swarm.ConnMgr.HighWater: 40
    • Swarm.ConnMgr.GracePeriod: one minute

• randomports

  • Sets Addresses.Swarm to listen on localhost at a random available port

js-ipfs profiles

In js-ipfs we already auto-detect whether the instance is running in the browser or node js and set config variables accordingly, we can refactor to use the profiles mechanism.

The corresponding ConnectionManager parameters for js-libp2p are

• Swarm.ConnMgr.LowWater: ConnectionManager.minPeers
• Swarm.ConnMgr.HighWater: ConnectionManager.maxPeers
• Swarm.ConnMgr.GracePeriod: ConnectionManager.pollInterval - approximately equivalent

js-ipfs / js-libp2p do not currently support these parameters:

• Addresses.NoAnnounce
• Swarm.AddrFilters
• Swarm.DisableNatPortMap - there is currently no NAT manager
• Routing.Type - there is currently no dhtclient mode
• Reprovider.Interval - there is currently no reproviding

[dirkmc]

@Stebalien @magik6k please let me know if any of the go-ipfs section is incorrect.
I'd also like to hear if any of these profiles turned out not to be useful, or if there are other profiles that you think would be useful.

Given that the only parameter we currently support for the server profile is Discovery.MDNS.Enabled, it may not be worth having the profile yet.