Create infrastructure for testing and validating retrieval reliability with Helia

[SgtPooki]

discussed in https://pl-strflt.notion.site/Reliable-retrieval-monitoring-project-plan-formation-ce2190c2ad054a44b8d0fca7d2cf6006?pvs=4

Tasks

Beta Give feedback

1. Phase 0: validate with probelab that they can pull from GitHubContainerRegistry
2. Phase 1: create helia nodejs gateway that can work with probelab's tiros
3. Phase 1: implement /api/v0/repo/gc to run garbage collection upon request
4. Phase 1: respond to <host>/<namespace>/request using a simple server
5. Phase 1: Tiros support for a Helia gateway: Add support for a helia container probe-lab/tiros#5
6. Phase 1: problab.io testing website using a Helia gateway: https://github.com/plprobelab/probelab-infra/pull/75
7. Phase 1: Investigate helia-http-gateway crashing issue. - fix: helia-docker container dies when running in tiros helia-http-gateway#18
8. Rename this package (?), clarify what's in scope, and describe how to configure helia-http-gateway#12
   2 of 3
   documentation enhancement +2
   
9. Ensure helia maintainers have access to a graph showing successful helia-http-gateway runs
10. Decide on how we want to handle running & displaying 3 separate helia-http-gateway setups with tiros
11. Get feat!: support DNS over HTTPS and DNS-JSON over HTTPS helia-ipns#55 merged and pulled into this repo so we can improve ipns queries.
12. Document the Helia configurations run on probelab.io: docs: update TTFB graph explainer probe-lab/website#85
13. migrate to @helia/verified-fetch -> feat: use @helia/verified-fetch helia-http-gateway#63

[SgtPooki]

@whizzzkid FYI that the service-worker gateway version should be secondary to the nodejs work.

[whizzzkid]

Thanks @SgtPooki, phase 1 is 95% there. Lemme send you a PR and open a chat with probelab to understand if ghcr would work.

[whizzzkid]

ipfs/helia-http-gateway#1

@SgtPooki can I get a review when you have a minute?

[whizzzkid]

Probelab PRs:

• Add support for a helia container probe-lab/tiros#5
• https://github.com/plprobelab/probelab-infra/pull/75

[whizzzkid]

@SgtPooki @BigLep I think the service worker gateway scope can be extended, a bit more planning can help us have a gateway in the browser, for:

• helia.io
• ipfs-companion
• probelab tiros.

Both companion and tiros can then directly hit helia.io. This could also open new pathways to init helia for use by anyone who wishes to retrieve content over ipfs in the browser. I have a very basic idea in the rough.

Possible Working

using helia.io to serve content to the end user

sequenceDiagram
    actor User
    participant Helia.io
    participant ServiceWorker
    User->>Helia.io: Get `/ip[fn]s/*`
    Helia.io->>Helia.io: Serve a static SW install page.
    Helia.io->>ServiceWorker: Activate SW, Intercept All `helia.io/ip[fn]s/*` requests
    ServiceWorker->>Helia.io: Activation Done
    Helia.io->>Helia.io: Refresh so that SW catches the page.
    Helia.io->>ServiceWorker: Fetch `helia.io/ip[fn]s/*`
    ServiceWorker->>User: Content is Served!

Notes:

• helia.io can continue to be hosted on github-pages statically.
• helia.io can serve content like a conventional gateway.
• helia.io can serve as a drop-in replacement for gateways in companion.

Using helia.io to retrieve content on any website.

sequenceDiagram
    actor User
    participant Domain.com
    participant Helia.io
    participant ServiceWorker
    User->>Domain.com: Call
    Domain.com->>Helia.io: /init.js
    Helia.io->>Domain.com: Validate if SW exists otherwise, Load /install.html in <iframe>
    Domain.com->>Helia.io: Load /install.html
    Helia.io->>ServiceWorker: Activate SW, Intercept All `helia.io/ip[fn]s/*` requests
    ServiceWorker->>Helia.io: Activation Done
    Helia.io->>Domain.com: Notify Domain.com load completed.
    Domain.com->>Helia.io: Fetch `helia.io/ip[fn]s/*`
    ServiceWorker->>Domain.com: Serve Content
    Domain.com->>User: Content is Served!

Notes:

• Adding the two helper routes would make installation very simple and maintainable.
• helia.io can continue to be statically hosted on github pages.
• helia.io can serve content like a CDN.

[BigLep]

Thanks for sharing @whizzzkid . I agree there is something here. I'd have to think with a clear head whether this should live under helia.io.

What I do think worth doing is showing the diagram of interaction for the Tiros case. Ideally the Probelab Tiros case has no dependency on software outside of what is distributed in the docker image. It shouldn't be impacted by whether helia.io is up for fetching /init.js or /install.html. I think we should keep that all local to the Tiros docker image for now and get it working.

Once we have worked out the kinds there, we look at expanding further.

[BigLep]

A few comments in circling back on this:

1. General comments on "helia-docker" name and scope: Rename this package (?), clarify what's in scope, and describe how to configure helia-http-gateway#12
2. How can we get the phase 1 functionality deployed so we can start seeing retrievability numbers?
3. I know currently we are only in phase 1 of using Helia in Node. Can we get numbers though for how much reliability/performance improves whether we enable "trustless" gateway fallback or not. Basically, I think we should run the docker in one configuration where trustless fallback isn't enabled, and one where it is.
4. How are we doing with phase 2 (testing retrieving from the browser without any dependency on an external site like helia.io)? Is that work being tracked somewhere else or here?
5. As part of phase 2, lets create a diagram like here, but without helia.io.
6. I added a couple of subtasks to the description of this issue. Please add others that are relevant for tracking this completion.

[SgtPooki]

2. How can we get the phase 1 functionality deployed so we can start seeing retrievability numbers?

deployed to probelab tiros and we're getting numbers now, but there are some remaining issues.

3. I know currently we are only in phase 1 of using Helia in Node. Can we get numbers though for how much reliability/performance improves whether we enable "trustless" gateway fallback or not. Basically, I think we should run the docker in one configuration where trustless fallback isn't enabled, and one where it is.

We can get these numbers but would need to work with probelab on deploying a second helia version. we should probably make sure we resolve any crashing issues first

4. How are we doing with phase 2 (testing retrieving from the browser without any dependency on an external site like helia.io)? Is that work being tracked somewhere else or here?

This is being tracked in this issue currently but we should spin that out.

5. As part of phase 2, lets create a diagram like Create infrastructure for testing and validating retrieval reliability with Helia #275 (comment), but without helia.io.

Sounds good.

[SgtPooki]

FYI that i'm moving the service worker discussions to ipfs/helia-http-gateway#56 and out of this issue so we can call this done when the dockerized node-side version of helia-http-gateway is done

[BigLep]

Thanks @SgtPooki. To be precise and make sure we're on the same page, the remaining tasks for this issue to me are:

1. (already in task list) Phase 1: Investigate helia-http-gateway crashing issue. - fix: helia-docker container dies when running in tiros helia-http-gateway#18
2. (already in task list) Rename this package (?), clarify what's in scope, and describe how to configure helia-http-gateway#12
3. We need to have a graph showing want percentage of tiros runs succeed with Helia (vs. the other setups like HTTP and Kubo)
4. Have Tiros reporting retrievability success and latency for these configurations:

• Helia / NodeJS / trustless gateway only
• Helia / NodeJS / delegated routing only + direct peer retrieval (no trustless gateway fallback)
• Helia / NodeJS / trustless gateway AND delegated routing with direct peer retrieval

Agreed?

[SgtPooki]

@BigLep I'll have to chat with @dennis-tra about #4, but it's possible to execute those different scenarios now. Displaying those on the website may be a different story (the graph could get too crowded, but maybe I can help with the display website?

Also, there's a question of cost for running 3 helia scenarios instead of just 1.

[SgtPooki]

@BigLep FYI that all three separate instances are running in tiros now. Some updates:

1. 👍 Containers don't seem to be dying early anymore. This is good
2. 👍 Tiros jobs for heliatg are looking positive. See attached screenshot below
3. 👎 Tiros jobs for helia (all things enabled) and heliadr (delegated routing only) aren't stopping. This is bad