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What was wrong?

The py-libp2p library lacked a Rendezvous protocol implementation for peer discovery. This missing functionality created a gap between py-libp2p and other libp2p implementations (Go, Rust) that already support rendezvous-based peer discovery through namespaces.

How was it fixed?

1. Core Module Implementation

  • libp2p/discovery/rendezvous/ directory with complete protocol implementation:
    • service.py: Rendezvous service handling peer registrations and discovery
    • client.py: Low-level protocol client
    • discovery.py: High-level discovery interface with caching and auto-refresh
    • config.py: Configuration constants and defaults
    • errors.py: Protocol-specific exception classes
    • messages.py: Protocol buffer message utilities

2. Key Features

  • Peer Registration: Advertise peers under namespaces with configurable TTL
  • Peer Discovery: Find peers by namespace with pagination support
  • Auto-refresh: Optional automatic re-registration before TTL expiry
  • Caching: Discovery result caching to reduce repeated queries
  • Resource Management: TTL-based cleanup and connection management
  • Error Handling: Comprehensive error types and status codes

3. Protocol Compliance

  • Full libp2p rendezvous protocol specification compliance
  • Protocol buffer message serialization/deserialization
  • Pagination support with limit and cookie-based navigation
  • Proper error status handling and propagation

4. Examples and Integration

  • Complete example demonstrating server and client usage
  • Command-line interface for testing (--mode server/client)
  • Optional refresh functionality showcase
  • Seamless integration with existing py-libp2p host implementation

Benefits

  • Feature Parity: Brings py-libp2p closer to other libp2p implementations
  • Flexible Discovery: Application-specific peer discovery patterns
  • Bootstrap Alternative: Lightweight alternative to DHT-based discovery
  • Namespace Organization: Logical grouping of peers by service type

To-Do

  • Clean up commit history
  • Add documentation updates
  • Add entry to release notes

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