[viff-devel] Optimizing preprocessing

[Janus Dam Nielsen]

>>>>> Computing directly on the field elements is hacking the  
>>>>> abstractions
>>>>> of VIFF. Computation on field elements or rather the  
>>>>> representation of
>>>>> a Share can be useful as an optimization, however this  
>>>>> optimization
>>>>> should be confined within applications or runtimes, and should not
>>>>> progress over interface boundaries as I fear you are suggesting.
>>>> I think we are in agreement: public methods on the runtimes will  
>>>> keep
>>>> returning Shares. Methods used internally in runtimes can return  
>>>> other
>>>> things as needed. To me it sounds like a better API to require
>>>> preprocessing functions to return a list of Deferreds:
>>>> [D(?), D(?), ...],
>>>> instead of a Deferred list of tuples containing Deferreds :-)
>>>> I think it will simplify the interface nicely, at least for  
>>>> consumers.
>>>> Using simpler types also leads to less memory usage which has a  
>>>> positive
>>>> effect on performance, as Marcel notes. So let's go for it.
>>>
>>> So this makes 2 votes in favour of it and 1 against it. Maybe we  
>>> should have a meeting to discuss it. What do you think?
>> I can agree on this as well, as long as we don't make field  
>> elements canonical.
>
> You mean that the preprocessing infrastructure should not be  
> restricted to FieldElements but can handle other items such as the  
> tuples used by the Orlandi runtime. Is that correct? It was never my  
> plan to introduce this restriction. I just want to get rid of the  
> Deferreds in the preprocessing pool because I think that they are  
> unnecessary there.
Then by all means go ahead and speed up the preprocessing. :)

____________________________________________________

Janus Dam Nielsen

Research and Innovationspecialist, PhD.
CENTRE FOR IT-SECURITY

THE ALEXANDRA INSTITUTE LTD.

T +45 42 22 93 56
E janus.nielsen at alexandra.dk
W alexandra.dk
____________________________________________________

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