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wtf is phxpaxos?

tencent/phxpaxos — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-17 · repo last pushed 2023-12-04

★ 3,370C++Audience · developerComplexity · 5/5DormantSetup · hard

TL;DR

A C++ library implementing the Paxos consensus protocol that turns a single-server service into a fault-tolerant distributed system where multiple servers stay in sync, battle-tested in WeChat's production.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((phxpaxos))
    Inputs
      Proposed operations
      State machine rules
      Multiple servers
    Outputs
      Ordered consensus
      Durable writes
      Consistent replicas
    Use Cases
      Build a distributed KV store
      Run a configuration server
      Master-election system
    Tech Stack
      C++
      Linux
      Paxos protocol
    Audience
      Backend developers
      Distributed systems engineers

Code map

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Build a distributed key-value store where every server ends up with identical data via the Paxos protocol.

REASON 2

Run a configuration server that stays consistent even if some machines crash or the network is delayed.

REASON 3

Build a master-election system that reliably agrees on which server is the active leader.

REASON 4

Wrap an existing single-server service, like an echo service, with PhxPaxos to make it fault-tolerant.

What's in the stack?

C++LinuxPaxos

How it stacks up

tencent/phxpaxosodriverobotics/odrivenerdlang/nerd
Stars3,3703,6143,616
LanguageC++C++C++
Last pushed2023-12-04——
MaintenanceDormant——
Setup difficultyhardhardmoderate
Complexity5/54/54/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

Requires writing a custom state machine and integrating the consensus library into your existing service, C++ on Linux only.

License is not stated in the available content.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Using PhxPaxos, show me how to wrap a simple echo service so it runs reliably across three servers with consensus.
Prompt 2
Write a PhxPaxos state machine for a key-value store that applies 'set key to value' commands in the same order on every replica.
Prompt 3
Explain how PhxPaxos guarantees durability and ordering when I propose a financial transaction to the cluster.
Prompt 4
Using PhxPaxos's configuration-store example as a reference, help me design a distributed config server for my service.
Prompt 5
Walk me through integrating PhxPaxos into an existing C++ service so it survives a single machine going down.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is phxpaxos?

A C++ library implementing the Paxos consensus protocol that turns a single-server service into a fault-tolerant distributed system where multiple servers stay in sync, battle-tested in WeChat's production.

What language is phxpaxos written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++, Linux, Paxos.

Is phxpaxos actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2023-12-04).

What license does phxpaxos use?

License is not stated in the available content.

How hard is phxpaxos to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1day+ to a first successful run.

Who is phxpaxos for?

Mainly developer.

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