Corda 3.3 brings together many small improvements, fixes, and community contributions to deliver a stable and polished release
of Corda. Where both the 3.1 and 3.2 releases delivered a smaller number of critical bug fixes addressing immediate and impactful error conditions, 3.3
addresses a much greater number of issues, both small and large, that have been found and fixed since the release of 3.0 back in March. Rolling up a great
many improvements and polish to truly make the Corda experience just that much better.
In addition to work undertaken by the main Corda development team, we've taken the opportunity in 3.3 to bring back many of the contributions made
by community members from master onto the currently released stable branch. It has been said many times before, but the community and its members
are the real life-blood of Corda and anyone who takes the time to contribute is a star in our eyes. Bringing that code into the current version we hope
gives people the opportunity to see their work in action, and to help their fellow community members by having these contributions available in a
supported release.
Changes of Note
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***Serialization fixes**
Things "in the lab" always work so much better than they do in the wild, where everything you didn't think of is thrown at your code and a mockery
is made of some dearly held assumptions. A great example of this is the serialization framework which delivers Corda's wire stability guarantee
that was introduced in 3.0 and has subsequently been put to a rigorous test by our users. Corda 3.3 consolidates a great many fixes in that framework,
both programmatically in terms of fixing bugs, but also in the documentation, hopefully making things clearer and easier to work with.
***Certificate Hierarchy**
After consultation, collaboration, and discussion with industry experts, we have decided to alter the default Certificate Hierarchy (PKI) utilized by
Corda and the Corda Network. To facilitate this, the nodes have had their certificate path verification logic made much more flexible. All existing
certificate hierarchy, certificates, and networks will remain valid. The possibility now exists for nodes to recognize a deeper certificate chain and
thus Compatibility Zone operators can deploy and adhere to the PKI standards they expect and are comfortable with.
Practically speaking, the old code assumed a 3-level hierarchy of Root -> Intermediate CA (Doorman) -> Node, and this was hard coded. From 3.3 onward an
arbitrary depth of certificate chain is supported. For the Corda Network, this means the introduction of an intermediate layer between the root and the
signing certificates (Network Map and Doorman). This has the effect of allowing the root certificate to *always* be kept offline and never retrieved or
used. Those new intermediate certificates can be used to generate, if ever needed, new signing certs without risking compromise of the root key.
Special Thanks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Corda community is a vibrant and exciting ecosystem that spreads far outside the virtual walls of the
R3 organisation. Without that community, and the most welcome contributions of its members, the Corda project
would be a much poorer place.
We're therefore happy to extend thanks to the following members of that community for their contributions
*`Dan Newton <https://github.com/lankydan>`_ for a fix to cleanup node registration in the test framework. The changes can be found `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/599aa709dd025a56e2c295cc9225ba2ee5b0fc9c>`_.
*`Tushar Singh Bora <https://github.com/kid101>`_ for a number of `documentation tweaks <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/279b8deaa6e1045fa4890ef179ee9a41c8a6406b>`_. In addition, some updates to the tutorial documentation `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/37656a58f5fd6cad7a2fa1c08e887777b375cedd>`_.
*`Jiachuan Li <https://github.com/lijiachuan1982>`_ for a number of corrections to our documentation. Those contributions can be found `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/83a09885172f22ad4e03909d942b473bccb4e228>`_ and `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/f23f2ee6966cf46a3f8b598e868393f9f2e610e7>`_.
*`Yogesh <https://github.com/acetheultimate>`_ for a documentation tweak that can be see `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/07e3ff502f620d5201a29cf12f686b50cd1cb17c>`_.
*`Roman Plášil <https://github.com/Quiark>`_ for speeding up node shutdown when connecting to an http network map. This fix can be found `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/ec1e40109d85d495b84cf4307fb8a7e34536f1d9>`_.
*`renlulu <https://github.com/renlulu>`_ for a small `PR <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/cda7c292437e228bd8df5c800f711d45a3d743e1>`_ to optimize some of the imports.
*`cxyzhang0 <https://github.com/cxyzhang0>`_ for making the ``IdentitySyncFlow`` more useful. See `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/a86c79e40ca15a8b95380608be81fe338d82b141>`_.
*`Venelin Stoykov <https://github.com/vstoykov>`_ with updates to the `documentation <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/4def8395b3bd100b2b0a3d2eecef5e20f0ec7f47>`_ around the progress tracker.
*`Mohamed Amine Legheraba <https://github.com/MohamedLEGH>`_ for updates to the Azure documentation that can be seen `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/14e9bf100d0b0236f65ee4ffd778f32307b9e519>`_.
*`Stanly Johnson <https://github.com/stanly-johnson>`_ with a `fix <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/f9a9bb19a7cc6d202446890e4e11bebd4a118cf3>`_ to the network bootstrapper.
*`Tittu Varghese <https://github.com/tittuvarghese>`_ for adding a favicon to the docsite. This commit can be found `here <https://github.com/corda/corda/commit/cd8988865599261db45505060735880c3066792e>`_
* Refactoring ``DigitalSignatureWithCertPath`` for more performant storing of the certificate chain. [`CORDA-1995 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1995>`_]
* The serializers class carpenter fails when superclass has double-size primitive field. [`Corda-1945 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/Corda-1945>`_]
* If a second identity is mistakenly created the node will not start. [`CORDA-1811 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1811>`_]
* Demobench profile load fails with stack dump. [`CORDA-1948 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1948>`_]
* Deletes of NodeInfo can fail to propagate leading to infinite retries. [`CORDA-2029 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-2029>`_]
* Copy all the certificates from the network-trust-store.jks file to the node's trust store. [`CORDA-2012 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-2012>`_]
* Add SNI (Server Name Indication) header to TLS connections. [`CORDA-2001 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-2001>`_]
* Fix duplicate index declaration in the Cash schema. [`CORDA-1952 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1952>`_]
* Hello World Tutorial Page mismatch between code sample and explanatory text. [`CORDA-1950 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1950>`_]
* Java Instructions to Invoke Hello World CorDapp are incorrect. [`CORDA-1949 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1949>`_]
* Add ``VersionInfo`` to the ``NodeInfo`` submission request to the network map element of the Compatibility Zone. [`CORDA-1938 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1938>`_]
* Rename current INTERMEDIATE_CA certificate role to DOORMAN_CA certificate role. [`CORDA-1934 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1934>`_]
* Make node-side network map verification agnostic to the certificate hierarchy. [`CORDA-1932 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1932>`_]
* Corda Shell incorrectly deserializes generic types as raw types. [`CORDA-1907 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1907>`_]
* The Corda web server does not support asynchronous servlets. [`CORDA-1906 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1906>`_]
* Amount<T> is deserialized from JSON and YAML as Amount<Currency>, for all values of T. [`CORDA-1905 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1905>`_]
*``NodeVaultService.loadStates`` queries without a ``PageSpecification`` property set. This leads to issues with large transactions. [`CORDA-1895 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1895>`_]
* If a node has two flows, where one's name is a longer version of the other's, they cannot be started [`CORDA-1892 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1892>`_]
* Vault Queries across ``LinearStates`` and ``FungibleState`` tables return incorrect results. [`CORDA-1888 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1888>`_]
* Checking the version of the Corda jar file by executing the jar with the ``--version`` flag without specifying a valid node configuration file causes an exception to be thrown. [`CORDA-1884 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1884>`_]
* RPC deadlocks after a node restart. [`CORDA-1875 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1875>`_]
* Vault query fails to find a state if it extends some class (``ContractState``) and it is that base class that is used as the predicate (``vaultService.queryBy<I>()``). [`CORDA-1858 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1858>`_]
* Missing unconsumed states from linear id when querying vault caused by a the previous transaction failing with an SQL exception. [`CORDA-1847 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1847>`_]
* Inconsistency in how a web path is written. [`CORDA-1841 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1841>`_]
* Cannot use ``TestIdentities`` with same organization name in ``net.corda.testing.driver.Driver``. [`CORDA-1837 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1837>`_]
* Adding flexibility to the serialization frameworks unit tests support and utility code. [`CORDA-1808 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1808>`_]
* Cannot use ``--initial-registration`` with the ``networkServices`` configuration option in place of the older ``compatibilityzone`` option within ``node.conf``. [`CORDA-1789 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1789>`_]
* Document more clearly the supported version of both IntelliJ and the IntelliJ Kotlin Plugins. [`CORDA-1727 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1727>`_]
* DemoBench's "Launch Explorer" button is not re-enabled when you close Node Explorer. [`CORDA-1686 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1686>`_]
* It is not possible to run ``stateMachinesSnapshot`` from the shell. [`CORDA-1681 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1681>`_]
* Node won't start if CorDapps generate states prior to deletion [`CORDA-1663 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1663>`_]
* Add Java examples for the creation of proxy serializers to complement the existing kotlin ones. [`CORDA-1641 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1641>`_]
* Proxy serializer documentation isn't clear on how to write a proxy serializer. [`CORDA-1640 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1640>`_]
* Node crashes in ``--initial-registration`` polling mode if doorman returns a transient HTTP error. [`CORDA-1638 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1638>`_]
* Nodes started by gradle task are not stopped when the gradle task exits. [`CORDA-1634 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1634>`_]
* Notarizations time out if notary doesn't have up-to-date network map. [`CORDA-1628 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1628>`_]
* Node explorer: Improve error handling when connection to nodes cannot be established. [`CORDA-1617 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1617>`_]
* Validating notary fails to resolve an attachment. [`CORDA-1588 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1588>`_]
* Out of process nodes started by the driver do not log to file. [`CORDA-1575 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1575>`_]
* Once ``--initial-registration`` has been passed to a node, further restarts should assume that mode until a cert is collected. [`CORDA-1572 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1572>`_]
* An array of primitive byte arrays (an array of arrays) won't deserialize in a virgin factory (i.e. one that didn't build the serializer for serialization). [`CORDA-1545 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1545>`_]
* Ctrl-C in the shell fails to aborts the flow. [`CORDA-1542 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1542>`_]
* One transaction with two identical cash outputs cannot be save in the vault. [`CORDA-1535 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1535>`_]
* The unit tests for the enum evolver functionality cannot be regenerated. This is because verification logic added after their initial creation has a bug that incorrectly identifies a cycle in the graph. [`CORDA-1498 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1498>`_]
* Add in a safety check that catches flow checkpoints from older versions. [`CORDA-1477 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1477>`_]
* Error in the process-id deletion process allows multiple instances of the same node to be run. [`CORDA-1455 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1455>`_]
* Delegate Property doesn't serialize, throws an erroneous type mismatch error. [`CORDA-1403 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1403>`_]
* If a vault query throws an exception, the stack trace is swallowed. [`CORDA-1397 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1397>`_]
* Node can fail to fully start when a port conflict occurs, no useful error message is generated when this occurs. [`CORDA-1394 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1394>`_]
* Running the ``deployNodes`` gradle task back to back without a clean doesn't work. [`CORDA-1389 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1389>`_]
* Stripping issuer from Amount<Issued<T>> does not preserve ``displayTokenSize``. [`CORDA-1386 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1386>`_]
*``CordaServices`` are instantiated multiple times per Party when using ``NodeDriver``. [`CORDA-1385 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1385>`_]
* Out of memory errors can be seen when using Demobench + Explorer. [`CORDA-1356 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1356>`_]
* Reduce the amount of classpath scanning during integration tests execution. [`CORDA-1355 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1355>`_]
* SIMM demo throws "attachment too big" errors. [`CORDA-1346 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1346>`_]
* Fix vault query paging example in ``ScheduledFlowTests``. [`CORDA-1344 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1344>`_]
* The shell doesn't print the return value of a started flow. [`CORDA-1342 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1342>`_]
* Provide access to database transactions for CorDapp developers. [`CORDA-1341 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1341>`_]
* Error with ``VaultQuery`` for entity inheriting from ``CommonSchemaV1.FungibleState``. [`CORDA-1338 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1338>`_]
* The ``--network-root-truststore`` command line option not defaulted. [`CORDA-1317 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1317>`_]
* Java example in "Upgrading CorDapps" documentation is wrong. [`CORDA-1315 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1315>`_]
* Remove references to ``registerInitiatedFlow`` in testing documentation as it is not needed. [`CORDA-1304 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1304>`_]
* Regression: Recording a duplicate transaction attempts second insert to vault. [`CORDA-1303 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1303>`_]
* Columns in the Corda database schema should have correct NULL/NOT NULL constraints. [`CORDA-1297 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1297>`_]
* MockNetwork/Node API needs a way to register ``@CordaService`` objects. [`CORDA-1292 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1292>`_]
* Deleting a ``NodeInfo`` from the additional-node-infos directory should remove it from cache. [`CORDA-1093 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1093>`_]
*``FailNodeOnNotMigratedAttachmentContractsTableNameTests`` is sometimes failing with database constraint "Notary" is null. [`CORDA-1976 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1976>`_]
* Revert keys for DEV certificates. [`CORDA-1661 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1661>`_]
* Node Info file watcher should block and load ``NodeInfo`` when node startup. [`CORDA-1604 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1604>`_]
* Improved logging of the network parameters update process. [`CORDA-1405 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1405>`_]
* Ensure all conditions in cash selection query are tested. [`CORDA-1266 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1266>`_]
*``NodeVaultService`` bug. Start node, issue cash, stop node, start node, ``getCashBalances()`` will not show any cash
* A Corda node doesn't re-select cluster from HA Notary.
* Event Horizon is not wire compatible with older network parameters objects.
* Notary unable to resolve Party after processing a flow from same Party.
* Misleading error message shown when a node is restarted after a flag day event.
As we see more Corda deployments in production this minor release of the open source platform brings
several fixes that make it easier for a node to join Corda networks broader than those used when
operating as part of an internal testing deployment. This will ensure Corda nodes will be free to interact
with upcoming network offerings from R3 and others who may make broad-access Corda networks available.
***The Corda Network Builder**
To make it easier to create more dynamic, flexible, networks for testing and deployment,
with the 3.2 release of Corda we are shipping a graphical network bootsrapping tool (see :doc:`network-builder`)
to facilitate the simple creation of more dynamic ad hoc dev-mode environments.
Using a graphical interface you can dynamically create and alter Corda test networks, adding
nodes and CorDapps with the click of a button! Additionally, you can leverage its integration
with Azure cloud services for remote hosting of Nodes and Docker instances for local testing.
***Split Compatibility Zone**
Prior to this release compatibility zone membership was denoted with a single configuration setting
..sourcecode:: shell
compatibilityZoneURL : "http://<host>(:<port>)"
That would indicate both the location of the Doorman service the node should use for registration
of its identity as well as the Network Map service where it would publish its signed Node Info and
retrieve the Network Map.
Compatibility Zones can now, however, be configured with the two disparate services, Doorman and
Network Map, running on different URLs. If the compatibility zone your node is connecting to
is configured in this manner, the new configuration looks as follows.
..sourcecode:: shell
networkServices {
doormanURL: "http://<host>(:<port>)"
networkMapURL: "http://<host>(:<port>)"
}
..note:: The ``compatibilityZoneURL`` setting should be considered deprecated in favour of the new
``networkServices`` settings group.
***The Blob Inspector**
The blob inspector brings the ability to unpack serialized Corda blobs at the
command line, giving a human readable interpretation of the encoded date.
..note:: This tool has been shipped as a separate Jar previously. We are now including it
as part of an official release.
Documentation on its use can be found here :doc:`blob-inspector`
***The Event Horizon**
One part of joining a node to a Corda network is agreeing to the rules that govern that network as set out
by the network operator. A node's membership of a network is communicated to other nodes through the network
map, the service to which the node will have published its Node Info, and through which it receives the
set of NodeInfos currently present on the network. Membership of that list is a finite thing determined by
the network operator.
Periodically a node will republish its NodeInfo to the Network Map service. The Network Map uses this as a
heartbeat to determine the status of nodes registered with it. Those that don't "beep" within the
determined interval are removed from the list of registered nodes. The ``Event Horizon`` network parameter
sets the upper limit within which a node must respond or be considered inactive.
..important:: This does not mean a node is unregistered from the Doorman, only that its NodeInfo is
removed from the Network Map. Should the node come back online it will be re-added to the published
set of NodeInfos
Issues Fixed
~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Update Jolokia to a more secure version [`CORDA-1744 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1744>`_]
* Add the Blob Inspector [`CORDA-1709 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1709>`_]
* Add support for the ``Event Horizon`` Network Parameter [`CORDA-866 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-866>`_]
* Add the Network Bootstrapper [`CORDA-1717 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1717>`_]
* Fixes for the finance CordApp[`CORDA-1711 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1711>`_]
* Allow Doorman and NetworkMap to be configured independently [`CORDA-1510 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1510>`_]
* Serialization fix for generics when evolving a class [`CORDA-1530 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1530>`_]
* Correct typo in an internal database table name [`CORDA-1499 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1499>`_] and [`CORDA-1804 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1804>`_]
* Hibernate session not flushed before handing over raw JDBC session to user code [`CORDA-1548 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1548>`_]
* Fix Postgres db bloat issue [`CORDA-1812 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1812>`_]
* Roll back flow transaction on exception [`CORDA-1790 <https://r3-cev.atlassian.net/browse/CORDA-1790>`_]
All shipped Corda flows have been upgraded to use the new `FlowSession`. Please read :doc:`api-flows` for complete details.
***Complete API cleanup**:
Across the board, all our public interfaces have been thoroughly revised and updated to ensure a productive and intuitive developer experience.
Methods and flow naming conventions have been aligned with their semantic use to ease the understanding of CorDapps.
In addition, we provide ever more powerful re-usable flows (such as `CollectSignaturesFlow`) to minimize the boiler-plate code developers need to write.
***Simplified annotation driven scanning**:
CorDapp configuration has been made simpler through the removal of explicit configuration items in favour of annotations
and classpath scanning. As an example, we have now completely removed the `CordaPluginRegistry` configuration.
Contract definitions are no longer required to explicitly define a legal contract reference hash. In their place an
optional `LegalProseReference` annotation to specify a URI is used.
This release continues with the goal to improve API stability and developer friendliness. There have also been more
bug fixes and other improvements across the board.
The CorDapp template repository has been replaced with a specific repository for
`Java <https://github.com/corda/cordapp-template-java>`_ and `Kotlin <https://github.com/corda/cordapp-template-kotlin>`_
to improve the experience of starting a new project and to simplify the build system.
It is now possible to specify multiple IP addresses and legal identities for a single node, allowing node operators
more flexibility in setting up nodes.
A format has been introduced for CorDapp JARs that standardises the contents of CorDapps across nodes. This new format
now requires CorDapps to contain their own external dependencies. This paves the way for significantly improved
dependency management for CorDapps with the release of `Jigsaw (Java Modules) <http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jigsaw/>`_. For those using non-gradle build systems it is important
to read :doc:`cordapp-build-systems` to learn more. Those using our ``cordformation`` plugin simply need to update
to the latest version (``0.14.0``) to get the fixes.
We've now begun the process of demarcating which classes are part of our public API and which ones are internal.
Everything found in ``net.corda.core.internal`` and other packages in the ``net.corda`` namespace which has ``.internal`` in it are
considered internal and not for public use. In a future release any CorDapp using these packages will fail to load, and
when we migrate to Jigsaw these will not be exported.
The transaction finalisation flow (``FinalityFlow``) has had hooks added for alternative implementations, for example in