createHistoryStream is slow over net

[arj03]

There is something wrong with createHistoryStream over a network connection. Locally it takes around 600ms, using net protocol the same call takes 6.500ms and using ws the exact same call takes 20.000ms?

var pull = require('pull-stream')

var remote = 'ws:between-two-worlds.dk:8989~shs:lbocEWqF2Fg6WMYLgmfYvqJlMfL7hiqVAV6ANjHWNw8=.ed25519'
//remote = 'net:between-two-worlds.dk:8008~shs:lbocEWqF2Fg6WMYLgmfYvqJlMfL7hiqVAV6ANjHWNw8=.ed25519'

require('ssb-client')({ remote }, (err, sbot) => {
  if (err) throw err
  console.time("downloading messages")
  pull(
    sbot.createHistoryStream({id: '@ye+QM09iPcDJD6YvQYjoQc7sLF/IFhmNbEqgdzQo3lQ=.ed25519', seq: 27000, keys: false}),
    pull.drain((msg) => {
      console.log(msg)
    }, (err) => {
      if (err) throw err

      console.timeEnd("downloading messages")
      sbot.close()
    })
  )
})

The problem seems to be buried in the legacy protocol for ssb-replication somewhere.

I havn't had time to properly debug this. But to confirm I made a plugin to help debug.

CC @staltz @cryptix as you are talking about initial sync

[dominictarr]

Oh something that might be related but not sure, this might be interacting badly with nagle (buffering on tcp). Especially since pull-box-stream writes the packet header then the packet... disabling nagle would be easy to confirm. I havn't had time to test it yet.

[arj03]

That sounds wierd. The plugin I linked just exposes the method and this is fast, so I don't think nagle is the problem we are seing here unless there is some wierd interaction between the legacy protocol and that.

[stale]

Is this still relevant? If so, what is blocking it? Is there anything you can do to help move it forward?