diff --git a/66.md b/66.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..b242e856 --- /dev/null +++ b/66.md @@ -0,0 +1,250 @@ +# NIP-66: Relay Discovery and Liveness Monitoring + +`draft` `optional` + +You want to find relays. You may want to discover relays based on criteria that's up to date. You may even want to ensure that you have a complete dataset. You probably want to filter relays based on their reported liveness. + +In its purest form: + +```json +{ + "kind": 30166, + "created_at": 1722173222, + "content": "{}", + "tags": [ + [ "d", "wss://somerelay.abc/" ] + ], + "pubkey": "", + "sig": "", + "id": "" +} +``` + +This event signals that the relay at `wss://somerelay.abc/` was reported "online" by `` at timestamp `1722173222`. This event **MAY** be extended upon to include more information. + +## Kinds +`NIP-66` defines two (2) event kinds, `30166` and `10166` + +| kind | name | description | +|-------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| +| [30166](#k30166) | Relay Discovery | A PRE that is published by a monitor when a relay is online | +| [10166](#k10166) | Relay Monitor Announcement | An RE that stores data that signals the intent of a pubkey to monitor relays and publish `30166` events at a regular _frequency_ | + +## Ontology +- `Relay Operator`: someone who operates a relay +- `Monitor`: A pubkey that monitors relays and publishes `30166` events at the frequency specified in their `10166` event. +- `Ad-hoc Monitor`: A pubkey that monitors relays and publishes `30166` events at an irregular frequency. +- `Monitor Service`: A group or individual that monitors relays using one or more `Monitors`. +- `Check`: a specific data point that is tested or aggregated by a monitor. + +## `30166`: "Relay Discovery" + +### Summary +`30166` is a `NIP-33` Parameterized-Replaceable Event [PRE], referred to as a "Relay Discovery" event. These events are optimized with a small footprint for protocol-level relay Discovery. + +### Purpose +Discovery of relays over nostr. + +### Schema + +#### Content +`30166` content fields **SHOULD** include the stringified JSON of the relay's NIP-11 informational document. This data **MAY** be provided for informational purposes only. + +#### `created_at` +The `created_at` field in a NIP-66 event should reflect the time when the relay liveness (and potentially other data points) was checked. + +#### `tags` + +##### Meta Tags (unindexed) +- `rtt-open` The relay's open **round-trip time** in milliseconds. +- `rtt-read` The relay's read **round-trip time** in milliseconds. +- `rtt-write` The relay's write **round-trip time** in milliseconds. + +_Other `rtt` values **MAY** be present. This NIP should be updated if there is value found in more `rtt` values._ + +##### Single Letter Tags (indexed) +- `d` The relay URL/URI. The `#d` tag **must** be included in the `event.tags[]` array. Index position `1` **must** be the relay websocket URL/URI. If a URL it **SHOULD** be [normalized](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3986#section-6). For relays not accessible via conventional means but rather by an npub/pubkey, an npub/pubkey **MAY** be used in place of a URL. + ```json + [ "d", "wss://somerelay.abc/"] + ``` + +- `n`: Network + ```json + [ "n", "clearnet" ] + ``` + +- `T`: Relay Type. Enumerated [relay type](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/issues/1282) formatted as `PascalCase` + ```json + ["T", "PrivateInbox" ] + ``` + +- `N`: Supported Nips _From NIP-11 "Informational Document" `nip11.supported_nips[]`_ + ```json + [ "N", "42" ] + ``` + +- `R`: Requirements _NIP-11 "Informational Document" `nip11.limitations.payment_required`, `nip11.limitations.auth_required` and/or any other boolean value within `nip11.limitations[]` that is added in the future_ + ```json + [ "R", "payment" ], + [ "R", "auth" ], + ``` + Since the nostr protocol does not currently support filtering on whether an indexed tag **is** or **is not** set, to make "public" and "no auth" relays discoverable requires a `!` flag + + ```json + [ "R", "!payment" ], //no payment required, is public + [ "R", "!auth" ], //no authentication required + ``` + +- `t`: "Topics" _From NIP-11 "Informational Document" `nip11.tags[]`_ + ```json + [ "t", "nsfw" ] + ``` + +- `k`: Accepted/Blocked Kinds [`NIP-22`] + ```json + [ "k", "0" ], + [ "k", "3" ], + [ "k", "10002" ] + ``` + + or for blocked kinds + + ```json + [ "k", "!0" ] + [ "k", "!3" ], + [ "k", "!10002" ] + ``` + +- `g`: `NIP-52` `g` tags (geohash) + ```json + [ "g", "9r1652whz" ] + ``` + +- `30166` **MAY** be extended with global tags defined by other NIPs that do no collide with locally defined indices, including but not limited to: `p`, `t`, `e`, `a`, `i` and `l/L`. + +#### Robust Example of a `30166` Event +_Relay was online, and you can filter on a number of different tags_ +```json +{ + "id": "", + "pubkey": "", + "created_at": "", + "signature": "", + "content": "{}", + "kind": 30166, + "tags": [ + ["d","wss://some.relay/"], + ["n", "clearnet"], + ["N", "40"], + ["N", "33"], + ["R", "!payment"], + ["R", "auth"], + ["g", "ww8p1r4t8"], + ["p", "somehexkey..."], + ["l", "en", "ISO-639-1"], + ["t", "nsfw" ], + ["rtt-open", 234 ] + ] +} +``` + +## `10166`: "Relay Monitor Announcement" Events + +### Summary +`10166` is a replacable event herein referred to as "Relay Monitor Announcement" events. These events contain information about a publisher's intent to monitor and publish data as `30166` events. This event is optional and is intended for monitors who intend to provide monitoring services at a regular and predictable frequency. + +### Purpose +To provide a directory of monitors, their intent to publish, their criteria and parameters of monitoring activities. Absence of this event implies the monitor is ad-hoc and does not publish events at a predictable frequency, and relies on mechanisms to infer data integrity, such as web-of-trust. + +### Schema + +#### Standard Tags + +- `frequency` The frequency **in seconds** at which the monitor publishes events. A string-integer at index `1` represents the expected frequency the monitor will publish `30166` events. There should only be `1` frequency per monitor. + + ```json + [ "frequency", "3600" ] + ``` + +- `timeout` (optional) The timeout values for various checks conducted by a monitor. Index `1` is the monitor's timeout in milliseconds. Index `2` describes what test the timeout is used for. If no index `2` is provided, it is inferred that the timeout provided applies to all tests. These values can assist relay operators in understanding data signaled by the monitor in _Relay Discovery Events_. + ```json + [ "timeout", "2000", "open" ], + [ "timeout", "2000", "read" ], + [ "timeout", "3000", "write" ], + [ "timeout", "2000", "nip11" ], + [ "timeout", "4000", "ssl" ] + ``` + +#### Indexed Tags +- `c` "Checks" **SHOULD** be a lowercase string describing the check(s) conducted by a monitor. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of relays, enumeration is organic and not strictly defined. But examples of some checks could be websocket `open/read/write/auth`, `nip11` checks, `dns` and `geo` checks, and and any other checks the monitor may deem useful.. Other checks **MAY** be included. New types of checks **SHOULD** be added to this NIP as they are needed. + ```json + [ "c", "ws" ], + [ "c", "nip11" ], + [ "c", "dns" ], + [ "c", "geo" ], + [ "c", "ssl" ], + ``` + +- `g`: `NIP-52` `g` tags (geohash) + ```json + [ "g", "9r1652whz" ] + ``` + +- Any other globally defined indexable tags **MAY** be included as found necessary. + +### Other Requirements +Monitors **SHOULD** have the following +- A published `0` (NIP-1) event +- A published `10002` (NIP-65) event that defines the relays the monitor publishes to. + +### Robust Example of a `10166` Event +```json +{ + "id": "", + "pubkey": "", + "created_at": "", + "signature": "", + "content": "", + "tags": [ + + [ "timeout", "open", "5000" ], + [ "timeout", "read", "3000" ], + [ "timeout", "write", "3000" ], + [ "timeout", "nip11", "3000" ], + + [ "frequency", "3600" ], + + [ "c", "ws" ], + [ "c", "nip11" ], + [ "c", "ssl" ], + [ "c", "dns" ], + [ "c", "geo" ] + + [ "g", "ww8p1r4t8" ] + ] +} +``` + +## Methodology + +### Monitors +1. A _Relay Monitor_ checks the liveness and potentially other attributes of a relay. + +2. _Relay Monitor_ publishes a kind `30166` note when a relay it is monitoring is online. If the monitor has a `10166` event, events should be published at the frequency defined in their `10166` note. + +_Any pubkey that publishes `30166` events **SHOULD** at a minimum be checking that the relay is available by websocket and behaves like a relay_ + +### Clients +1. In most cases, a client **SHOULD** filter on `30166` events using either a statically or dynamically defined monitor's `pubkey` and a `created_at` value respective of the monitor's published `frequency`. If the monitor has no stated frequency, other mechanisms should be employed to determine data integrity. + +2. _Relay Liveness_ is subjectively determined by the client, starting with the `frequency` value of a monitor. + +3. The liveness of a _Relay Monitor_ can be subjectively determined by detecting whether the _Relay Monitor_ has published events with respect to `frequency` value of any particular monitor. + +4. The reliability and trustworthiness of a _Relay Monitor_ could be established via web-of-trust, reviews or similar mechanisms. + +## Risk Mitigation + +- When a client implements `NIP-66` events, the client should have a fallback if `NIP-66` events cannot be located. + +- A `Monitor` or `Ad-hoc Monitor` may publish erroneous `30166` events, intentionally or otherwise. Therefor, it's important to program defensively to limit the impact of such events. This can be achieved with web-of-trust, reviews, fallbacks and/or data-aggregation for example.