Update elastic scaling documentation

docs/sdk/src/guides/enable_elastic_scaling.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+//! # Enable elastic scaling for a parachain
+//!
+//! <div class="warning">This guide assumes full familiarity with Asynchronous Backing and its
+//! terminology, as defined in <a href="https://paritytech.github.io/polkadot-sdk/master/polkadot_sdk_docs/guides/async_backing_guide/index.html">the Polkadot SDK Docs</a>.
+//! </div>
+//!
+//! ## Quick introduction to Elastic Scaling
+//!
+//! [Elastic scaling](https://www.parity.io/blog/polkadot-web3-cloud) is a feature that enables parachains (rollups) to use multiple cores.
+//! Parachains can adjust their usage of core resources on the fly to increase TPS and decrease
+//! latency.
+//!
+//! ### When do you need Elastic Scaling?
+//!
+//! Depending on their use case, applications might have an increased need for the following:
+//! - compute (CPU weight)
+//! - bandwidth (proof size)
+//! - lower latency (block time)
+//!
+//! ### High throughput (TPS) and lower latency
+//!
+//! If the main bottleneck is the CPU, then your parachain needs to maximize the compute usage of
+//! each core while also achieving a lower latency.
+//! 3 cores provide the best balance between CPU, bandwidth and latency: up to 6s of execution,
+//! 5MB/s of DA bandwidth and fast block time of just 2 seconds.
+//!
+//! ### High bandwidth
+//!
+//! Useful for applications that are bottlenecked by bandwidth.
+//! By using 6 cores, applications can make use of up to 6s of compute, 10MB/s of bandwidth
+//! while also achieving 1 second block times.
+//!
+//! ### Ultra low latency
+//!
+//! When latency is the primary requirement, Elastic scaling is currently the only solution. The
+//! caveat is the efficiency of core time usage decreases as more cores are used.
+//!
+//! For example, using 12 cores enables fast transaction confirmations with 500ms blocks and up to
+//! 20 MB/s of DA bandwidth.
+//!
+//! ## Dependencies
+//!
+//! Prerequisites: Polkadot-SDK `2509` or newer.
+//!
+//! To ensure the security and reliability of your chain when using this feature you need the
+//! following:
+//! - An omni-node based collator. This has already become the default choice for collators.
+//! - UMP signal support.
+//! [RFC103](https://github.com/polkadot-fellows/RFCs/blob/main/text/0103-introduce-core-index-commitment.md).
+//!   This is mandatory protection against PoV replay attacks.
+//! - Enabling the relay parent offset feature. This is required to ensure the parachain block times
+//!   and transaction in-block confidence are not negatively affected by relay chain forks. Read
+//!   [`crate::guides::handling_parachain_forks`] for more information.
+//! - Block production configuration adjustments.
+//!
+//! ### Upgrade to Polkadot Omni node
+//!
+//! Your collators need to run `polkadot-parachain` or `polkadot-omni-node` with the `--authoring
+//! slot-based` CLI argument.
+//! To avoid potential issues and get best performance it is recommeneded to always run the  
+//! latest release on all of the collators.
+//!
+//! Further information about omni-node and how to upgrade is available:
+//! - [high level docs](https://docs.polkadot.com/develop/toolkit/parachains/polkadot-omni-node/)
+//! - [`crate::reference_docs::omni_node`]
+//!
+//! ### Enable UMP signals
+//!
+//! The only required change for the runtime is enabling the `experimental-ump-signals` feature of
+//! the `parachain-system` pallet:
+//! `cumulus-pallet-parachain-system = { workspace = true, features = ["experimental-ump-signals"]
+//! }`
+//!
+//! You can find more technical details about UMP signals and their usage for elastic scaling
+//! [here](https://github.com/polkadot-fellows/RFCs/blob/main/text/0103-introduce-core-index-commitment.md).
+//!
+//! ### Enable the relay parent offset feature
+//!
+//! It is recommended to use an offset of `1`, which is sufficient to eliminate any issues
+//! with relay chain forks.
+//!
+//! Configure the relay parent offset like this:
+//! ```ignore
+//!     /// Build with an offset of 1 behind the relay chain best block.
+//!     const RELAY_PARENT_OFFSET: u32 = 1;
+//!
+//!     impl cumulus_pallet_parachain_system::Config for Runtime {
+//!         // ...
+//!         type RelayParentOffset = ConstU32<RELAY_PARENT_OFFSET>;
+//!     }
+//! ```
+//!
+//! Implement the runtime API to retrieve the offset on the client side.
+//! ```ignore
+//!     impl cumulus_primitives_core::RelayParentOffsetApi<Block> for Runtime {
+//!         fn relay_parent_offset() -> u32 {
+//!             RELAY_PARENT_OFFSET
+//!         }
+//!     }
+//! ```
+//!
+//! ### Block production configuration
+//!
+//! This configuration directly controls the minimum block time and maximum number of cores
+//! the parachain can use.
+//!
+//! Example configuration for a 3 core parachain:
+//!  ```ignore
+//!     /// The upper limit of how many parachain blocks are processed by the relay chain per
+//!     /// parent. Limits the number of blocks authored per slot. This determines the minimum
+//!     /// block time of the parachain:
+//!     /// `RELAY_CHAIN_SLOT_DURATION_MILLIS/BLOCK_PROCESSING_VELOCITY`
+//!     const BLOCK_PROCESSING_VELOCITY: u32 = 3;
+//!
+//!     /// Maximum number of blocks simultaneously accepted by the Runtime, not yet included
+//!     /// into the relay chain.
+//!     const UNINCLUDED_SEGMENT_CAPACITY: u32 = (2 + RELAY_PARENT_OFFSET) *
+//! BLOCK_PROCESSING_VELOCITY + 1;
+//!
+//!     /// Relay chain slot duration, in milliseconds.
+//!     const RELAY_CHAIN_SLOT_DURATION_MILLIS: u32 = 6000;
+//!
+//!     type ConsensusHook = cumulus_pallet_aura_ext::FixedVelocityConsensusHook<
+//!         Runtime,
+//!         RELAY_CHAIN_SLOT_DURATION_MILLIS,
+//!         BLOCK_PROCESSING_VELOCITY,
+//!         UNINCLUDED_SEGMENT_CAPACITY,
+//!     >;
+//!
+//!  ```
+//!
+//! ## Current limitations
+//!
+//! ### Maximum execution time per relay chain block.
+//!
+//! Since parachain block authoring is sequential, the next block can only be built after
+//! the previous one has been imported.
+//! At present, a core allows up to 2 seconds of execution per relay chain block.
+//!
+//! If we assume a 6s parachain slot, and each block takes the full 2 seconds to execute,
+//! the parachain will not be able to fully utilize the compute resources of all 3 cores.
+//!    
+//! If the collator hardware is faster, it can author and import full blocks more quickly,
+//! making it possible to utilize even more than 3 cores efficiently.
+//!
+//! #### Why?
+//!
+//! Within a 6-second parachain slot, collators can author multiple parachain blocks.
+//! Before building the first block in a slot, the new block author must import the last
+//! block produced by the previous author.
+//! If the import of the last block is not completed before the next relay chain slot starts,
+//! the new author will build on its parent (assuming it was imported). This will create a fork
+//! which degrades the parachain block confidence and block times.
+//!
+//! This means that, on reference hardware, a parachain with a slot time of 6s can
+//! effectively utilize up to 4 seconds of execution per relay chain block, because it needs to
+//! ensure the next block author has enough time to import the last block.
+//! Hardware with higher single-core performance can enable a parachain to fully utilize more
+//! cores.
+//!
+//! ### Fixed factor scaling.
+//!
+//! For true elasticity, a parachain needs to acquire more cores when needed in an automated
+//! manner. This functionality is not yet available in the SDK, thus acquiring additional
+//! on-demand or bulk cores has to be managed externally.

docs/sdk/src/guides/mod.rs

@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ pub mod async_backing_guide;
 /// How to enable metadata hash verification in the runtime.
 pub mod enable_metadata_hash;
 
-/// How to enable elastic scaling MVP on a parachain.
-pub mod enable_elastic_scaling_mvp;
+/// How to enable elastic scaling on a parachain.
+pub mod enable_elastic_scaling;
 
 /// How to parameterize parachain forking in relation to relay chain forking.
 pub mod handling_parachain_forks;

prdoc/pr_9677.prdoc

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+title: 'Update elastic scaling documentation'
+doc:
+- audience: [Runtime Dev, Node Dev]
+  description: Updated elastic scaling guide. Removes the guide for the MVP version.
+crates:
+  - name: polkadot-sdk-docs
+    bump: major