Linear view-change bft

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code embodying a method for implementing linear view-change in a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) protocol running on a distributed system comprising n replicas, wherein no more than f of the n replicas are faulty, and wherein the BFT protocol enables at least 2f+1 of the n replicas to agree on how to sequence execution of a plurality of service operations originating from one or more clients, the method comprising:

• at a time of performing a view-change from a current view number v to a new view number v+1 in order to reach consensus on a sequence number for a given service operation:
• generating, by a replica in the n replicas corresponding to a new proposer for new view number v+1, a PREPARE message comprising a single COMMIT certificate, the single COMMIT certificate being the highest COMMIT certificate the new proposer is aware of;
• and
• transmitting, by the new proposer, the PREPARE message with the single COMMIT certificate to all other replicas in the n replicas.

A distributed system comprising:

• n replicas;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code that, when executed, enables the distributed system to implement linear view-change in a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) protocol running on the distributed system, wherein no more than f of the n replicas are faulty, and wherein the BFT protocol enables at least 2f+1 of the n replicas to agree on how to sequence execution of a plurality of service operations originating from one or more clients, the program code causing the distributed system to:
• at a time of performing a view-change from a current view number v to a new view number v+1 in order to reach consensus on a sequence number for a given service operation:
• generate, via a replica in the n replicas corresponding to a new proposer for new view number v+1, a PREPARE message comprising a single COMMIT certificate, the single COMMIT certificate being the highest COMMIT certificate the new proposer is aware of;
• and
• transmit, via the new proposer, the PREPARE message with the single COMMIT certificate to all other replicas in the n replicas.