Enhanced Relayer Account Management For Hedera Guardian

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Enhanced Relayer Account Management for Hedera Guardian

Introduction

In the realm of blockchain technology, particularly within the Hedera Hashgraph ecosystem, managing relayer accounts efficiently is crucial. This article delves into the proposed enhancements for relayer account management within the Hedera Guardian, addressing the limitations of the current system and outlining the requirements for a more versatile and user-friendly approach. Currently, the relayer account feature is designed primarily for individual user setups, which is insufficient for platforms where a central entity needs to cover transaction costs for multiple users. This article explores how to evolve the Guardian to support scenarios involving platform owners, platform providers, and centralized payers, enhancing both flexibility and control over transaction fee management.

Problem Statement

The existing relayer account functionality within the Hedera Guardian has a significant limitation: it assumes that users will set up relayer accounts exclusively for their own use. While this setup provides some accounting benefits, it fails to accommodate scenarios where a platform owner, provider, or a centralized payer needs to cover the transaction costs for other users. This gap necessitates a more flexible and comprehensive solution for managing relayer accounts to support various use cases within the Hedera ecosystem.

The Current System's Shortcomings

  1. Limited Scope: The current system is primarily designed for individual user-based setups, which restricts its applicability in broader, platform-centric scenarios.
  2. Lack of Centralized Control: There is no provision for a centralized entity to manage and allocate relayer accounts across multiple users, hindering efficiency and control.
  3. Inadequate Support for Diverse Use Cases: The existing functionality does not adequately support scenarios involving platform owners, providers, or centralized payers who need to cover transaction costs for other users.

Addressing these shortcomings is crucial for enhancing the utility and applicability of the Hedera Guardian in various real-world scenarios, making it more versatile and user-friendly for a broader range of users and organizations.

Proposed Solution: Firewall-Style Relayer Account Configuration

To address the limitations of the current system, the proposed solution involves configuring relayer accounts from a configuration file using a firewall rules fashion. This approach offers greater flexibility and control over how relayer accounts are used across different users and scenarios. By implementing this, the Guardian can support a wider range of use cases, including those involving platform owners, providers, and centralized payers who need to cover transaction costs for multiple users.

Key Components of the Proposed Solution

  1. Firewall-Style Configuration: Implement a configuration file that allows administrators to define permissions for each relayer account based on user and group affiliations, similar to how firewall rules are structured.
  2. User Permissions: Define permissions for each user, as well as a wildcard option for "everyone," allowing for broad, default rules that can be overridden by more specific user-based rules.
  3. Permission Options: Introduce two primary permission options:
    • Must Use: This option forces users to use a specific relayer account, which is visible in the UI. Users cannot deselect or add/use another relayer.
    • Can Use: This option allows users to select and use a specific relayer account, which is also visible in the UI, but they are not required to use it.
  4. Rules Order: The order of the rules in the configuration file matters, with each line overwriting the previous rules. This allows for a hierarchical structure where general rules can be overridden by more specific rules for individual users or groups.

Example Configuration

To illustrate how this configuration would work, consider the following example:

  • Everyone must use 0.0.123
  • Bob can use 0.0.234
  • Alice can use 0.0.345
  • Carl must use 0.0.456

In this scenario:

  • Carl is mandated to use relayer account 0.0.456.
  • Alice has the option to use relayer account 0.0.345, but if she chooses not to, she will default to using 0.0.123.
  • Bob similarly has the option to use relayer account 0.0.234, but if he chooses not to, he will default to using 0.0.123.

This approach ensures that the Guardian can effectively manage relayer accounts across a diverse set of users and scenarios, providing both mandatory and optional configurations as needed.

User Override and System Admin Choice

In addition to the firewall-style configuration, users should have the option to decide whether to use a relayer account, regardless of the registry or policy developer's intentions. This configuration should be available as a user option and/or a system administrator choice, providing an additional layer of flexibility and control.

Key Considerations for User Override

  1. User Autonomy: As a user, I can decide to use a relayer account regardless of what the registry or the policy developer wants.
  2. Configuration Flexibility: That configuration should be a user option and/or system admin choice.

Importance of User Choice

Allowing users to override the default relayer account settings ensures that they retain control over their transaction fees. This is particularly important in scenarios where users may have their own preferred relayer accounts or wish to manage their transaction costs independently.

System Administrator Control

System administrators should also have the ability to enforce or restrict user overrides, providing a balance between user autonomy and organizational policy. This ensures that the system can be tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of different organizations and user groups.

Detailed Requirements

To successfully implement the proposed solution, several key requirements must be met. These requirements span from the configuration of relayer accounts to user interface considerations and system administrator controls.

Configuration from File

The Guardian should allow the configuration of relayer accounts from a configuration file, using a firewall rules fashion. This is fundamental to enabling the flexible and hierarchical management of relayer accounts.

Permissions Definition

For each relay account, define permissions for each user, plus an everyone wildcard. The options will be:

  • Must use: relayer account visibile in the UI, users cannot deselect or add/use another relayer
  • Can use: relayer account visible in the UI, users can select and use it

Rules Order Matters

Rules order matter, each line overwrite the previous rules, for example:

  • Everyone must use 0.0.123
  • Bob can use 0.0.234
  • Alice can use 0.0.345
  • Carl must use 0.0.456

Summary: Carl must use 0.0.456, Alice can use 0.0.345 but if she choose not to do it she is going to use 0.0.123, same for Bob he has the option to use 0.0.234 or the mandatory 0.0.123

User Choice

As a user, I can decide to use a relayer account regardless of what the registry or the policy developer wants. That configuration should be a user option and/or system admin choice.

Benefits of the Enhanced Relayer Account Management

Implementing the proposed enhancements to relayer account management in the Hedera Guardian offers numerous benefits, including increased flexibility, improved control, and enhanced user experience.

Increased Flexibility

The firewall-style configuration allows for granular control over which users can use specific relayer accounts. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for platform owners and providers who need to manage transaction costs for multiple users.

Improved Control

System administrators can enforce mandatory relayer accounts for certain users or groups, ensuring compliance with organizational policies. At the same time, users can retain control over their transaction fees by overriding the default settings if necessary.

Enhanced User Experience

The user interface can be designed to clearly indicate which relayer accounts are available and whether their use is mandatory or optional. This transparency enhances the user experience and reduces confusion.

Support for Diverse Use Cases

With the enhanced relayer account management, the Hedera Guardian can support a wider range of use cases, including those involving platform owners, providers, and centralized payers. This versatility makes the Guardian a more valuable tool for organizations operating within the Hedera ecosystem.

Conclusion

The proposed enhancements to relayer account management within the Hedera Guardian represent a significant step forward in providing a more flexible, controllable, and user-friendly system. By implementing a firewall-style configuration, allowing user overrides, and providing clear user interface indications, the Guardian can better support the diverse needs of users and organizations operating within the Hedera ecosystem. This enhanced functionality not only addresses the limitations of the current system but also unlocks new possibilities for managing transaction fees and optimizing the user experience.

In conclusion, adopting these enhancements will significantly improve the utility and applicability of the Hedera Guardian, making it an indispensable tool for anyone looking to leverage the power of the Hedera Hashgraph network.