HIP-001: New Hashgraph DID-SDK

Synchronous operations: Some cryptographic operations, including signing, are synchronous, leading to bottlenecks and reduced responsiveness, particularly under high load.

Inadequate key management: There is no support for external key management solutions and diverse strategies, being restricted to using PrivateKey directly for cryptographic operations. This limitation poses security risks and reduces flexibility. For details on PrivateKey, refer to the Hedera SDKs and APIs Documentation [7].

No multibase encoding: The absence of multibase encoding limits interoperability with other systems.

Critical bugs:

Asynchronous Cryptographic Operations: Asynchronous operations are essential for handling high-load scenarios efficiently. This design choice is made to prevent performance bottlenecks observed in the existing synchronous model.

Flexible Key Management: Support for External Secret Mode and Client-managed Secret Mode enhances security and flexibility. These modes allow for varied key management strategies that align with different security needs. A significant refactor of the existing key management system was evaluated, but it would have introduced complexity and maintenance challenges without fully resolving the limitations. For details on these key management modes, refer to the DID Registration Specification [5].

Multibase Encoding: Multibase encoding is included to improve interoperability with diverse systems. The absence of this feature in the current SDK restricts its integration capabilities. Other encoding schemes were considered, but multibase offers the best balance of compatibility and standardization.

Critical Bug Fixes: These fixes are crucial for ensuring secure and accurate message handling in decentralized applications.

As a developer, I want asynchronous cryptographic operations so that I can achieve better performance and responsiveness in high-demand applications.

As a security engineer, I need support for External and Client-managed Secret Modes so that I can implement flexible and secure key management solutions tailored to my application’s needs.

As an integrator, I want multibase encoding support so that my application can interact seamlessly with other systems and technologies.

As a quality assurance specialist, I need the SDK to address and resolve existing bugs to ensure reliable and accurate functionality in decentralized applications.

Interfaces: Definitions of new and updated interfaces.

Data Structures: Descriptions of data models and schemas.

Diagrams (Sequence, Class): Visual representations of interactions and structure.

Code Examples: Practical usage examples and sample code.

Testing Details: Coverage of unit, integration, and security tests.

Robust Test Coverage: Extensive test coverage with a target of 80%, including unit, integration, security, and performance tests.

Comprehensive Documentation: Detailed documentation to help developers understand and use the SDK effectively.

Incremental Fixes: Maintaining the current implementation with incremental fixes was evaluated but deemed inadequate for addressing core performance issues. While quicker to deploy, incremental fixes would not fully resolve the limitations of the existing SDK.

Large Refactor: A significant refactor of the existing SDK was considered. Although it might address many issues, it was deemed too complex and risky, with potential backward compatibility issues and higher maintenance costs. This approach would also not provide the flexibility and scalability required by modern applications.

Community Feedback: Ongoing discussions and feedback may result in additional refinements or adjustments.