Multi-ledger in ACA-Py

Ability to use multiple Indy ledgers (both IndySdk and IndyVdr) for resolving a DID by the ACA-Py agent. For read requests, checking of multiple ledgers in parallel is done dynamically according to logic detailed in Read Requests Ledger Selection. For write requests, dynamic allocation of write_ledger is supported. Configurable write ledgers can be assigned using is_write in the configuration or using any of the --genesis-url, --genesis-file, and --genesis-transactions startup (ACA-Py) arguments. If no write ledger is assigned then a ConfigError is raised.

More background information including problem statement, design (algorithm) and more can be found here.

Table of Contents

• Usage
• Example config file
• Config properties
• Multi-ledger Admin API
• Ledger Selection
• Read Requests
  • For checking ledger in parallel
• Write Requests
• A Special Warning for TAA Acceptance
• Impact on other ACA-Py function
• Known Issues

Usage

Multi-ledger is disabled by default. You can enable support for multiple ledgers using the --genesis-transactions-list startup parameter. This parameter accepts a string which is the path to the YAML configuration file. For example:

--genesis-transactions-list ./aries_cloudagent/config/multi_ledger_config.yml

If --genesis-transactions-list is specified, then --genesis-url, --genesis-file, --genesis-transactions should not be specified.

Example config file

- id: localVON
  is_production: false
  genesis_url: "http://host.docker.internal:9000/genesis"
- id: bcovrinTest
  is_production: true
  is_write: true
  genesis_url: "http://test.bcovrin.vonx.io/genesis"

- id: localVON
  is_production: false
  genesis_url: "http://host.docker.internal:9000/genesis"
- id: bcovrinTest
  is_production: true
  is_write: true
  genesis_url: "http://test.bcovrin.vonx.io/genesis"
  endorser_did: "9QPa6tHvBHttLg6U4xvviv"
  endorser_alias: "endorser_test"
- id: greenlightDev
  is_production: true
  is_write: true
  genesis_url: "http://test.bcovrin.vonx.io/genesis"

Note: is_write property means that the ledger is write configurable. With reference to the above config example, both bcovrinTest and (the no longer available -- in the above its pointing to BCovrin Test as well) greenlightDev ledgers are write configurable. By default, on startup bcovrinTest will be the write ledger as it is the topmost write configurable production ledger, more details regarding the selection rule. Using PUT /ledger/{ledger_id}/set-write-ledger endpoint, either greenlightDev and bcovrinTest can be set as the write ledger.

Note 2: The greenlightDev ledger is no longer available, so both ledger entries in the example above and below intentionally point to the same ledger URL.

- id: localVON
  is_production: false
  is_write: true
  genesis_url: "http://host.docker.internal:9000/genesis"
- id: bcovrinTest
  is_production: true
  genesis_url: "http://test.bcovrin.vonx.io/genesis"
- id: greenlightDev
  is_production: true
  genesis_url: "http://test.bcovrin.vonx.io/genesis"

Note: For instance with regards to example config above, localVON will be the write ledger, as there are no production ledgers which are configurable it will choose the topmost write configurable non production ledger.

Config properties

For each ledger, the required properties are as following:

• id*: The id (or name) of the ledger, can also be used as the pool name if none provided
• is_production*: Whether the ledger is a production ledger. This is used by the pool selector algorithm to know which ledger to use for certain interactions (i.e. prefer production ledgers over non-production ledgers)

For connecting to ledger, one of the following needs to be specified:

• genesis_file: The path to the genesis file to use for connecting to an Indy ledger.
• genesis_transactions: String of genesis transactions to use for connecting to an Indy ledger.
• genesis_url: The url from which to download the genesis transactions to use for connecting to an Indy ledger.
• is_write: Whether this ledger is writable. At least one write ledger must be specified, unless running in read-only mode. Multiple write ledgers can be specified in config.

Optional properties:

• pool_name: name of the indy pool to be opened
• keepalive: how many seconds to keep the ledger open
• socks_proxy
• endorser_did: Endorser public DID registered on the ledger, needed for supporting Endorser protocol at multi-ledger level.
• endorser_alias: Endorser alias for this ledger, needed for supporting Endorser protocol at multi-ledger level.

Note: Both endorser_did and endorser_alias are part of the endorser info. Whenever a write ledger is selected using PUT /ledger/{ledger_id}/set-write-ledger, the endorser info associated with that ledger in the config updates the endorser.endorser_public_did and endorser.endorser_alias profile setting respectively.

Multi-ledger Admin API

Multi-ledger related actions are grouped under the ledger topic in the SwaggerUI.

• GET /ledger/config: Returns the multiple ledger configuration currently in use
• GET /ledger/get-write-ledger: Returns the current active/set write_ledger's ledger_id
• GET /ledger/get-write-ledgers: Returns list of available write_ledger's ledger_id
• PUT /ledger/{ledger_id}/set-write-ledger: Set active write_ledger's ledger_id

Ledger Selection

Read Requests

The following process is executed for these functions in ACA-Py:

1. get_schema
2. get_credential_definition
3. get_revoc_reg_def
4. get_revoc_reg_entry
5. get_key_for_did
6. get_all_endpoints_for_did
7. get_endpoint_for_did
8. get_nym_role
9. get_revoc_reg_delta

If multiple ledgers are configured then IndyLedgerRequestsExecutor service extracts DID from the record identifier and executes the check below, else it returns the BaseLedger instance.

For checking ledger in parallel

• lookup_did_in_configured_ledgers function
• If the calling function (above) is in items 1-4, then check the DID in cache for a corresponding applicable ledger_id. If found, return the ledger info, else continue.
• Otherwise, launch parallel _get_ledger_by_did tasks for each of the configured ledgers.
• As these tasks get finished, construct applicable_prod_ledgers and applicable_non_prod_ledgers dictionaries, each with self_certified and non_self_certified inner dict which are sorted by the original order or index.
• Order/preference for selection: self_certified > production > non_production
  • Checks production ledger where the DID is self_certified
  • Checks non_production ledger where the DID is self_certified
  • Checks production ledger where the DID is not self_certified
  • Checks non_production ledger where the DID is not self_certified
• Return an applicable ledger if found, else raise an exception.
• _get_ledger_by_did function
• Build and submit GET_NYM
• Wait for a response for 10 seconds, if timed out return None
• Parse response
• Validate state proof
• Check if DID is self certified
• Returns ledger info to lookup_did_in_configured_ledgers

Write Requests

On startup, the first configured applicable ledger is assigned as the write_ledger (BaseLedger), the selection is dependent on the order (top-down) and whether it is production or non_production. For instance, considering this example configuration, ledger bcovrinTest will be set as write_ledger as it is the topmost production ledger. If no production ledgers are included in configuration then the topmost non_production ledger is selected.

A Special Warning for TAA Acceptance

When you run in multi-ledger mode, ACA-Py will use the pool-name (or id) specified in the ledger configuration file for each ledger.

(When running in single-ledger mode, ACA-Py uses default as the ledger name.)

If you are running against a ledger in write mode, and the ledger requires you to accept a Transaction Author Agreement (TAA), ACA-Py stores the TAA acceptance status in the wallet in a non-secrets record, using the ledger's pool_name as a key.

This means that if you are upgrading from single-ledger to multi-ledger mode, you will need to either:

• set the id for your writable ledger to default (in your ledgers.yaml file)

or:

• re-accept the TAA once you restart your ACA-Py in multi-ledger mode

Once you re-start ACA-Py, you can check the GET /ledger/taa endpoint to verify your TAA acceptance status.

Impact on other ACA-Py function

There should be no impact/change in functionality to any ACA-Py protocols.

IndySdkLedger was refactored by replacing wallet: IndySdkWallet instance variable with profile: Profile and accordingly .aries_cloudagent/indy/credex/verifier, .aries_cloudagent/indy/models/pres_preview, .aries_cloudagent/indy/sdk/profile.py, .aries_cloudagent/indy/sdk/verifier, ./aries_cloudagent/indy/verifier were also updated.

Added build_and_return_get_nym_request and submit_get_nym_request helper functions to IndySdkLedger and IndyVdrLedger.

Best practice/feedback emerging from Askar session deadlock issue and endorser refactoring PR was also addressed here by not leaving sessions open unnecessarily and changing context.session to context.profile.session, etc.

These changes are made here:

• ./aries_cloudagent/ledger/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/messaging/credential_definitions/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/messaging/schemas/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/actionmenu/v1_0/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/actionmenu/v1_0/util.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/basicmessage/v1_0/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/coordinate_mediation/v1_0/handlers/keylist_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/coordinate_mediation/v1_0/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/endorse_transaction/v1_0/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/introduction/v0_1/handlers/invitation_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/introduction/v0_1/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/issue_credential/v1_0/handlers/credential_issue_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/issue_credential/v1_0/handlers/credential_offer_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/issue_credential/v1_0/handlers/credential_proposal_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/issue_credential/v1_0/handlers/credential_request_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/issue_credential/v1_0/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/issue_credential/v2_0/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/present_proof/v1_0/handlers/presentation_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/present_proof/v1_0/handlers/presentation_proposal_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/present_proof/v1_0/handlers/presentation_request_handler.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/present_proof/v1_0/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/protocols/trustping/v1_0/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/resolver/routes.py
• ./aries_cloudagent/revocation/routes.py

Known Issues

• When in multi-ledger mode and switching ledgers (e.g.: the agent is registered on Ledger A and has published its DID there, and now wants to "move" to Ledger B) there is an issue that will cause the registration to the new ledger to fail.