🍴Node Fork Types

Forks in the Constellation Network

In the context of the Constellation Network's Hypergraph or metagraph clusters, the concepts of majority fork and minority fork relate to how the network reaches consensus during discrepancies, synchronization issues, or splits in transaction history.

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What is a Majority Fork?

A majority fork occurs when the majority of validator nodes in the network agree on a particular version of the transaction history. This version becomes the canonical chain and is recognized as the valid state of the network.

Unlike traditional linear blockchains, Constellation uses a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture. In this system, the majority fork represents the most widely accepted state of the DAG, ensuring consistency, correctness, and security.

Majority forks typically occur during routine operations—such as when one of the three source nodes in a cluster is restarted during an upgrade or maintenance cycle.

Examples:

• Tessellation is upgraded from version vX.0.0 to vX.0.1.

• Two conflicting transaction histories emerge, and the one accepted by most validators becomes part of the official ledger.

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What is a Minority Fork?

A minority fork occurs when a smaller subset of nodes deviates from the consensus and follows an alternate transaction history. This version of the DAG is generally considered invalid or non-authoritative because it lacks sufficient validator support.

Minority forks may arise due to:

• Network partitioning

• Incomplete upgrades

• Misconfigurations

• Malicious behavior

In the Constellation Network, these forks are automatically disregarded by consensus protocols, as they fail to meet the quorum thresholds for validation.

Example:

• Tessellation is upgraded to vX.0.1, but one or more nodes remain on vX.0.0, resulting in those nodes temporarily diverging into a minority fork.

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Considerations

• Transactions included in a minority fork may temporarily appear valid to affected nodes.

• Once consensus re-aligns with the majority, those transactions are rejected and excluded from the network’s official state.

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Implications in Constellation’s Network

Security and Stability

Prioritizing the majority fork ensures that only the most secure and validated version of the ledger is retained, which protects against double spending and preserves network reliability.

Fork Resolution

The network includes automated mechanisms to reconcile forks. Nodes on a minority path are guided back to the consensus-approved chain, restoring full alignment across the network.

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Final Thoughts

The majority fork represents the unified, authoritative state of the Constellation Network. The minority fork is a temporary divergence, typically caused by upgrades or desynchronization, and is automatically corrected through the network’s consensus process.