Synchronization Mechanisms

This section evaluates the effectiveness of the access and settle versions in Race Protocol for ensuring consistent game state synchronization across different nodes. Additionally, the audit reviews the event-driven architecture and its ability to handle asynchronous updates and network delays.

Findings:

Medium:

• [ID] Potential for inconsistencies in game state due to network delays.

  • Description: While the access and settle versions provide a mechanism for synchronizing game state, they do not fully account for network delays. If events are received by different nodes in a different order due to network latency, temporary inconsistencies in the game state could occur.

  • Impact: Temporary inconsistencies could lead to confusion for players and potentially create opportunities for exploits or unfair gameplay.

  • Recommendation: Implement additional mechanisms to address network delays and ensure consistent state updates. This could involve:

    • Event sequencing: Assigning unique sequence numbers to events and ensuring that nodes process them in the correct order.

    • State reconciliation: Implementing periodic state reconciliation procedures where nodes compare their game states and resolve any discrepancies.

  • Code Reference: Event handling and synchronization logic in transactor/src/component/event_loop.rs and core/src/context.rs.

Low:

• [ID] Lack of explicit handling for event loss.

  • Description: The current implementation does not explicitly handle the scenario where events are lost during transmission. This could lead to inconsistencies in the game state if some nodes miss critical updates.

  • Impact: Lost events could result in desynchronized game states and potentially disrupt gameplay or create unfair advantages.

  • Recommendation: Implement mechanisms to detect and recover from event loss. This could involve:

    • Event acknowledgments: Implementing a system where nodes acknowledge the receipt of events, allowing the Transactor to resend any missing updates.

    • State snapshots: Periodically storing state snapshots on-chain or in a distributed storage system, allowing nodes to recover from a consistent state in case of event loss.

  • Code Reference: Event handling and synchronization logic in transactor/src/component/event_loop.rs and core/src/context.rs.

Event-driven Architecture Review:

• The event-driven architecture of Race Protocol is a suitable approach for handling asynchronous updates and network delays.

• However, the current implementation could be improved by adding explicit mechanisms for event sequencing, state reconciliation, and event loss recovery.

Prioritization:

• Implementing measures to address network delays and prevent inconsistencies in the game state should be prioritized as it directly impacts the gameplay experience and fairness.

• Adding mechanisms for event loss recovery is also important for ensuring the integrity and consistency of the game state.