3 ms·
Request back off / retries, any sort of simulation, various load balancing algorithms, randomized algorithms, fuzzing/testing, ...
by uluyol 6y ago
Request back off / retries, any sort of simulation, various load balancing algorithms, randomized algorithms, fuzzing/testing, ...
- Thorrez 6y agoWhy does back off / retry require unpredictability?
- thiagocsf 6y agoTo avoid a stampede of requests by synchronised clients.
- Thorrez 6y agoThat doesn't require unpredictability. For example, Mersenne Twister seeded from /dev/urandom would work fine for that, even though it's predictable because Mersenne Twister is predictable.
- mytailorisrich 6y agoIt does not require true unpredictability, the key aim being to have each host retry at a different time. There is no need to cryptographic strength, which is costly, and pseudo-randomness is enough and much cheaper.
- Thorrez 6y agoI think you're agreeing with me that unpredictability isn't necessary (e.g. Mersenne Twister would work fine).
- DougBTX 6y agoI see you’ve replied to quite a few of the comments in this thread, but I think the basis of the disagreement isn’t in the specifics, but because you’re using a stronger definition of “unpredictability” than they are.
- Thorrez 6y agoI believe I'm using the same definition of unpredictability as the website. If other people are using other definitions that is indeed going to cause a lot of confusion.
- Karliss 6y agoToday I learned that there are other aspects for CSPRNG beside the stronger definition of unpredictability. Wikipedia mentions inability to calculate previous values in case the hidden internal state gets revealed. So I assumed that top question was intentionally asking about weaker definition of predicatability not PRNG that have good enough unpredictability for CSPRNG but doesn't match other requirements.