Multi-PC Showcase

The examples/multi-pc/ directory is the reference deployment story for vine as a real binary.

It uses four Linux machines running the same executable:

• alpha
• beta
• gamma
• relay

Each machine keeps its own libself identity file and advertises one overlay prefix into the same network:

• alpha -> 10.42.0.0/24
• beta -> 10.42.1.0/24
• gamma -> 10.42.2.0/24
• relay -> 10.42.254.0/24

Expected Path Story

The example is designed to demonstrate three normal cases and one failure case:

1. alpha talks to beta over a direct session.
2. gamma reaches beta after signaling-assisted setup.
3. gamma reaches alpha through relay if no direct path can be formed.
4. alpha falls back to relay if the direct path to beta disappears.

That is the intended vine operator model:

• direct when possible
• signaling when setup is needed
• relay when direct reachability fails

Narrative Walkthrough

Start with all four configs installed and one identity generated per machine.

Bring up relay first so the other nodes have a stable bootstrap target. Then start alpha, beta, and gamma.

Once all nodes are running:

• vine peers should show the allowlisted remote peers
• vine routes should show owned prefixes for those peers
• vine sessions should initially favor direct or signaling-assisted paths when available

Now force a direct-path failure between alpha and beta. The expected recovery is:

• route ownership stays the same
• the preferred session changes
• relay_usage and fallback_transitions increase
• traffic still has a path through relay

This is why relay capability belongs to the peer policy layer instead of to the overlay address itself.

Files

• examples/multi-pc/README.md
• examples/multi-pc/alpha.toml
• examples/multi-pc/beta.toml
• examples/multi-pc/gamma.toml
• examples/multi-pc/relay.toml