tn-write-e2e

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Design and generate end-to-end tests for the telcoin-network node. Trigger on: "write e2e test", "integration test", "test epoch", "test restart", "test sync", "end to end"

grantkee By grantkee schedule Updated 6/2/2026
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name: tn-write-e2e description: | Design and generate end-to-end tests for the telcoin-network node. Trigger on: "write e2e test", "integration test", "test epoch", "test restart", "test sync", "end to end"

E2E Test Generator

Project Context

Telcoin Network (tn-4) is a Rust blockchain node combining Narwhal/Bullshark DAG-based BFT consensus with EVM execution via Reth. The e2e test suite lives in crates/e2e-tests/ and exercises the full node binary — genesis ceremony, multi-validator networks, epoch transitions, restarts, staking, and observer nodes.

Architecture:

  • 4-5 validator nodes run as child processes per test, each with its own temp directory, dynamic RPC/WS/IPC ports, and per-node log files
  • spawn_local_testnet() handles the simple case: config + launch all 4 validators in-process via launch_node()
  • get_telcoin_network_binary() + start_nodes() handles the process-based case: compile the telcoin-network binary once (cached via OnceLock<CargoRun>), then spawn child processes with full CLI args
  • ProcessGuard ensures all child processes are killed on drop (SIGTERM then SIGKILL), preventing orphaned nodes even on panic
  • TestSemaphore limits concurrent e2e tests to 2 (each spawns 4-6 processes)
  • Tests use #[ignore] so they don't run in cargo test by default — run with cargo test --ignored or --include-ignored

Key files:

  • crates/e2e-tests/src/lib.rs — harness: spawn_local_testnet(), config_local_testnet(), setup_log_dir(), get_telcoin_network_binary(), verify_all_transports(), NodeEndpoints
  • crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/common.rs — ProcessGuard, TestSemaphore, acquire_test_permit(), kill_child(), send_term()
  • crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/main.rs — test module declarations
  • crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/epochs.rs — epoch boundary + epoch sync tests
  • crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/restarts.rs — restart, delayed restart, observer tests
  • crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/genesis_tests.rs — genesis verification, precompile accounts, ConsensusRegistry
  • crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/staking.rs — CLI keygen to stake flow (uses RethEnv directly, not spawned nodes)
  • crates/e2e-tests/Cargo.toml — dependencies

Process

Phase 1: Understand the Test Scenario

Ask or determine:

  1. What behavior is being tested? (epoch transition, restart recovery, genesis state, staking, observer sync, custom)
  2. Does this test need spawned node processes or can it use RethEnv directly?
  3. How many validators? Any additional nodes (observer, new validator joining)?
  4. What transactions need to be submitted? (staking, transfers, contract calls)
  5. What are the success criteria? (block height advances, validator in committee, balances match, epoch records certified)

Phase 2: Design the Test

Before writing code, plan:

  1. Setup: What genesis configuration is needed? Custom accounts? Custom epoch duration?
  2. Network topology: How many validators, any observers, any late-joining nodes?
  3. Actions: What sequence of operations? (wait for RPC, submit txs, kill node, restart node, wait for epoch)
  4. Assertions: What to verify at each step? Be specific about block heights, balances, committee membership, epoch records.
  5. Timing: Account for EPOCH_DURATION, RPC startup delay (up to 20s), epoch boundary confirmation lag, and CI load variance. Always use generous timeouts.
  6. Cleanup: ProcessGuard handles this, but verify the guard scope covers all code paths.

Phase 3: Generate the Test Code

Write the test following harness conventions (see sections below). The test must:

  • Acquire TestSemaphore permit as the first action
  • Use tempfile::TempDir for all data
  • Wrap all child processes in ProcessGuard
  • Use dynamic ports via get_available_tcp_port()
  • Poll RPC until ready (never assume instant availability)
  • Use timeout() around all blocking waits
  • Return eyre::Result<()>

Phase 4: Verify and Provide Run Instructions

  1. Verify the test compiles: cargo check -p e2e-tests --tests
  2. If a new module is created, add it to crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/main.rs
  3. Provide the run command: cargo test -p e2e-tests --test it <test_name> -- --ignored --nocapture
  4. Note where logs will be written: crates/e2e-tests/test_logs/<test_name>/

Test Harness Reference

spawn_local_testnet()

The simplest way to start a 4-validator network. Runs nodes in-process using threads (not child processes). Returns Vec<NodeEndpoints>.

let temp_dir = tempfile::TempDir::with_prefix("my_test")?;
let endpoints = spawn_local_testnet(temp_dir.path(), None)?;
// endpoints[0].http_url, endpoints[0].ws_url, endpoints[0].ipc_path

With funded accounts:

let accounts = vec![
    (address, GenesisAccount::default().with_balance(U256::from(parse_ether("50_000_000")?))),
];
let endpoints = spawn_local_testnet(temp_dir.path(), Some(accounts))?;

Limitation: no per-node process control (can't kill/restart individual nodes). Use the process-based approach for restart tests.

Process-Based Approach (for restart/kill scenarios)

Used by epochs.rs and restarts.rs. Compile the binary once, spawn as child processes:

let bin = e2e_tests::get_telcoin_network_binary();
let mut guard = ProcessGuard::empty();

for (i, (name, _addr)) in validators.iter().enumerate() {
    let rpc_port = get_available_tcp_port("127.0.0.1").expect("rpc port");
    let ws_port = get_available_tcp_port("127.0.0.1").expect("ws port");
    let ipc_path = temp_path.join(format!("{name}.ipc"));

    let mut command = bin.command();
    command
        .env("TN_BLS_PASSPHRASE", NODE_PASSWORD)
        .arg("--bls-passphrase-source").arg("env")
        .arg("node")
        .arg("--datadir").arg(&*dir.to_string_lossy())
        .arg("--http").arg("--http.port").arg(rpc_port.to_string())
        .arg("--ws").arg("--ws.port").arg(ws_port.to_string())
        .arg("--ipcpath").arg(ipc_path.to_string_lossy().as_ref());

    setup_log_dir(&mut command, name, "my_test", 1);
    guard.push(command.spawn().expect("failed to execute"));
}
// guard.take(idx) -- remove for manual restart
// guard.replace(idx, new_child) -- swap in restarted node
// guard.kill_all() or drop -- cleanup

ProcessGuard

RAII guard that kills all child processes on drop (SIGTERM -> poll 6s -> SIGKILL).

let _guard = ProcessGuard::new(children);          // wrap existing Vec<Child>
let mut guard = ProcessGuard::empty();              // build incrementally
let idx = guard.push(child);                        // add, returns index
let old = guard.take(idx);                          // remove for manual control
guard.replace(idx, new_child);                      // swap (restart scenario)
guard.send_term_all();                              // SIGTERM without waiting
guard.kill_all();                                   // SIGTERM + wait + SIGKILL

TestSemaphore

Limits concurrent e2e tests to MAX_CONCURRENT_TESTS (currently 2). Must be acquired first in every test:

let _permit = super::common::acquire_test_permit();
// also initializes test tracing

RPC Polling

Never assume RPC is available immediately. Poll until ready:

// Using alloy Provider
timeout(Duration::from_secs(20), async {
    let mut result = provider.get_chain_id().await;
    while let Err(e) = result {
        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
        result = provider.get_chain_id().await;
    }
}).await?;

// Using jsonrpsee HttpClient (restarts.rs pattern)
fn wait_for_rpc(url: &str) -> eyre::Result<HttpClient> {
    let client = HttpClientBuilder::default().build(url)?;
    for attempt in 0..120 {
        match client.request::<String, _>("eth_blockNumber", rpc_params!()).await {
            Ok(_) => return Ok(client),
            Err(_) => tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(500)).await,
        }
    }
    eyre::bail!("RPC not available")
}

Transaction Submission

Use TransactionFactory for signing and ConsensusRegistry bindings for validator operations:

// Create wallet
let mut wallet = TransactionFactory::new_random_from_seed(&mut StdRng::seed_from_u64(42));

// Build and send a transaction
let chain: Arc<RethChainSpec> = Arc::new(genesis.into());
let calldata = ConsensusRegistry::mintCall { validatorAddress: addr }.abi_encode().into();
let tx = wallet.create_eip1559_encoded(
    chain.clone(),
    None,           // gas_limit (None = default)
    100,            // gas_price
    Some(CONSENSUS_REGISTRY_ADDRESS),
    U256::ZERO,     // value
    calldata,
);

// Send via provider
let pending = provider.send_raw_transaction(&tx).await?;
timeout(Duration::from_secs(EPOCH_DURATION * 2 + 11), pending.watch()).await??;

Epoch Polling

Poll ConsensusRegistry::getCurrentEpochInfo() to detect epoch transitions:

let consensus_registry = ConsensusRegistry::new(CONSENSUS_REGISTRY_ADDRESS, &provider);
let mut current_info = consensus_registry.getCurrentEpochInfo().call().await?;

let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(EPOCH_DURATION * 4);
let new_info = loop {
    let info = consensus_registry.getCurrentEpochInfo().call().await?;
    if info != current_info {
        break info;
    }
    assert!(Instant::now() < deadline, "Epoch did not change within timeout");
    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
};

Epoch Record Verification

Verify certified epoch records across all nodes:

for ep in endpoints {
    let provider = ProviderBuilder::new().connect_http(ep.http_url.parse()?);
    for epoch in 0..=latest_epoch {
        let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(EPOCH_DURATION * 3);
        let (epoch_rec, cert) = loop {
            match provider
                .raw_request::<_, (EpochRecord, EpochCertificate)>("tn_epochRecord".into(), (epoch,))
                .await
            {
                Ok(result) => break result,
                Err(_) if Instant::now() < deadline => {
                    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
                }
                Err(e) => return Err(eyre::eyre!("epoch record unavailable: {e}")),
            }
        };
        assert!(epoch_rec.verify_with_cert(&cert), "invalid epoch record!");
    }
}

Per-Node Logging

Every spawned node should write logs to crates/e2e-tests/test_logs/<test>/<node>-run<N>.log:

setup_log_dir(&mut command, "validator-1", "my_test", 1);
// Also captures stderr to node-run1.stderr.log

verify_all_transports()

Verify HTTP, WS, and IPC are all reachable for a node:

verify_all_transports(&endpoints[0]).await?;

Timing & Race Condition Avoidance

These patterns come from real bugs found in the codebase. Follow them strictly.

1. EPOCH_DURATION Awareness

Epoch-related tests use EPOCH_DURATION (typically 10s in tests) as the base timing unit. All timeouts should be multiples of this:

  • RPC startup: 20s
  • Transaction confirmation: EPOCH_DURATION * 2 + 11 (txs can land at epoch boundaries, get orphaned, and re-inject)
  • Epoch transition polling: EPOCH_DURATION * 4 (generous for CI load variance)
  • Epoch record availability: EPOCH_DURATION * 3 (certificates are produced asynchronously after boundaries)

2. Deadline-Based Polling (Not Fixed Retries)

Use Instant::now() + Duration deadlines instead of fixed retry counts. This adapts to actual execution speed:

let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(EPOCH_DURATION * 4);
loop {
    // ... check condition ...
    assert!(Instant::now() < deadline, "descriptive failure message");
    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
}

3. Biased Select for Shutdown

When using tokio::select! with both data processing and shutdown signals, always use biased with data arms first. Without it, shutdown can win randomly when both arms are ready, dropping the final data item.

4. Never Assume Instant State Propagation

After submitting a transaction or triggering an epoch change:

  • Poll until the expected state is visible (don't just sleep a fixed duration)
  • Use wait_for_block(url, target_block) before reading state from a node that might be behind
  • Observer nodes lag validators -- always wait for sync before asserting

5. Account for Async Certificate Production

Epoch records and certificates are produced asynchronously after epoch boundaries via quorum voting. Poll with a deadline rather than assuming they exist immediately after an epoch transition.

6. Channel and Shutdown Ordering

Be aware of:

  • Saved-but-not-forwarded: Data persisted to DB but channel to consumer already closed
  • Epoch transition windows: Channels torn down and recreated between epochs, messages can be lost
  • Broadcast channel lag: tokio::sync::broadcast drops messages when receiver falls behind

7. Restart Timing

After killing and restarting a node:

  • Verify the killed node is actually down (RPC should fail)
  • After restart, poll RPC until responsive (up to 45s in restart tests)
  • Wait for the restarted node to sync to the current block height before asserting state equality

Test Scenarios

Template: Basic Genesis Verification

#[tokio::test]
async fn test_genesis_something() -> eyre::Result<()> {
    let _permit = super::common::acquire_test_permit();
    let temp_dir = tempfile::TempDir::with_prefix("genesis_something")?;
    let endpoints = spawn_local_testnet(temp_dir.path(), None)?;
    let rpc_url = &endpoints[0].http_url;

    // wait for RPC
    let client = wait_for_rpc(rpc_url).await?;

    // ... verify genesis state via RPC ...

    Ok(())
}

Template: Epoch Transition with New Validator

See epochs.rs::test_epoch_boundary() for the full pattern:

  1. Create TransactionFactory wallets for governance and new validator
  2. create_genesis_for_test() with funded accounts
  3. start_nodes() to spawn all validators + new validator
  4. Wrap in ProcessGuard
  5. Poll RPC until ready
  6. Submit mint/stake/activate txs
  7. Loop epochs, checking committee membership
  8. Verify epoch records across all nodes

Template: Kill and Restart Node

See epochs.rs::test_epoch_sync() and restarts.rs::do_restarts() for the full pattern:

  1. Start network, wait for RPC
  2. Run through N epochs
  3. guard.take(idx) to remove a node, kill_child() to stop it
  4. Verify the node is actually down (RPC should error)
  5. Continue epochs on remaining nodes
  6. start_nodes() to restart, guard.replace(idx, child) to re-register
  7. Update endpoints (new dynamic ports)
  8. Verify restarted node syncs and all nodes agree on state

Template: Observer Node

See restarts.rs::test_restarts_observer():

  1. Start 4 validators + 1 observer with start_observer() (uses --observer CLI flag)
  2. Observer data dir is temp_path.join("observer")
  3. Send tx to observer, confirm on validator
  4. wait_for_block(obs_url, target_block) before reading observer state
  5. Send tx to validator, confirm observer sees it

Template: Direct RethEnv Test (No Spawned Nodes)

See staking.rs::test_cli_keygen_to_stake():

  1. Build genesis with RethEnv::create_consensus_registry_genesis_accounts()
  2. Create RethEnv::new_for_temp_chain(chain, tmp_dir.path(), &task_manager, None)
  3. Build payloads with TNPayload, execute with reth_env.build_block_from_batch_payload()
  4. Query state directly with reth_env.get_validator_info()
  5. No ProcessGuard needed -- no child processes

Conventions

Naming

  • Test functions: test_<scenario> (e.g., test_epoch_boundary, test_restartstt)
  • Inner async helpers: test_<scenario>_inner for the core logic
  • Helper functions: descriptive verbs (e.g., loop_epochs, start_nodes, generate_new_validator_txs)
  • Temp dir prefixes: match the test name (e.g., tempfile::TempDir::with_prefix("epoch_boundary"))
  • Log test names: match the test for easy log correlation

File Placement

  • New test modules go in crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/<module>.rs
  • Register in crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/main.rs as mod <module>;
  • Shared utilities go in common.rs (if test-specific) or src/lib.rs (if reusable across test binaries)

Attributes

  • All e2e tests that spawn nodes MUST have #[ignore = "descriptive reason"]
  • Use #[tokio::test] for async tests, plain #[test] for sync tests (restart tests use sync + internal runtime)
  • The #[ignore] attribute goes BEFORE #[tokio::test] or #[test]

Imports

  • use super::common::{acquire_test_permit, ProcessGuard, kill_child, send_term};
  • use e2e_tests::{...}; for harness items from src/lib.rs
  • use alloy::{...}; for providers, primitives
  • use tn_reth::{system_calls::{ConsensusRegistry, CONSENSUS_REGISTRY_ADDRESS}, test_utils::TransactionFactory};
  • use tn_types::{get_available_tcp_port, Address, ...};

Error Handling

  • Return eyre::Result<()> from all tests
  • Use ? for propagation, eyre::bail!() or eyre::eyre!() for custom errors
  • Include context in error messages (node URL, expected vs actual values, iteration number)
  • In restart tests, kill child processes before returning errors to prevent orphans

Constants

  • EPOCH_DURATION: u64 = 10 -- base timing unit for epoch tests
  • NODE_PASSWORD: &str -- BLS passphrase for test validators
  • INITIAL_STAKE_AMOUNT: &str = "1_000_000" -- stake per validator
  • Validator addresses: Address::from_slice(&[0x11; 20]) through [0x55; 20]

Rules

  1. Always acquire TestSemaphore first. Every test function must call acquire_test_permit() before doing anything else. This limits concurrency and initializes tracing.

  2. Always use ProcessGuard. Every spawned child process must be wrapped in a ProcessGuard. Never rely on manual cleanup -- panics skip manual cleanup code.

  3. Always use dynamic ports. Call get_available_tcp_port("127.0.0.1") for every port. Never hardcode port numbers. Tests run in parallel.

  4. Always use tempfile::TempDir. Never write to fixed paths. The TempDir handle must live for the duration of the test (don't let it drop early).

  5. Always poll RPC until ready. Never sleep a fixed duration and hope the node is up. Poll with a timeout.

  6. Always wrap waits in timeout(). Any loop that waits for a condition must have a deadline or timeout to prevent infinite hangs.

  7. Never assume instant epoch transitions. Epoch changes, certificate production, and state propagation all happen asynchronously. Poll until observed.

  8. Use #[ignore] on every test that spawns nodes. These tests are slow and resource-heavy. They must be opted into explicitly.

  9. Update main.rs when adding a new module. Add mod <name>; to crates/e2e-tests/tests/it/main.rs.

  10. Write descriptive failure messages. Include the test name, iteration number, node URL, and expected vs actual values in all assertions and error messages. When a test fails, the message should be enough to start debugging without reading the code.

  11. Separate test logic into _inner functions. Keep the #[test] function for setup/teardown and delegate core logic to an inner function. This makes it easier to share logic across test variants (e.g., test_epoch_boundary and test_epoch_sync share epoch-polling logic).

  12. Account for epoch boundary transaction orphaning. Transactions submitted near an epoch boundary may be orphaned and re-injected. Use EPOCH_DURATION * 2 + buffer for transaction confirmation timeouts.

  13. Verify node is actually down after kill. After kill_child(), assert that the node's RPC is unreachable before proceeding. Do not assume the process exited instantly.

  14. Update endpoints after restart. Restarted nodes get new dynamic ports. Always update the endpoint entry in your test state.

  15. Read test_logs/ on failure. When debugging, tell the user to check crates/e2e-tests/test_logs/<test>/ for per-node stdout and stderr logs.

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