Dead code removal

[maxtropets]

Audit and clean up dead code following BFT removal

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Disclaimer: push back on things that you think should stay.

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Follow-up to #8312 (dead BFT execution code) and #8303 (unused KV read serialization). Earlier related cleanup: #4760 and #5176.

Findings are based on static repository-wide reference searches and caller tracing, not a whole-program reachability proof. Reconfirm against current main before removing anything. Not every finding is necessarily BFT-related.

Dead functions

No in-repository callers found:

KV and consensus (#8328)

• Remove Store::has_map_internal().
• Remove the zero-argument Store::next_version() and its abstract declaration. Keep the parameterized overload and next_version_unsafe().
• Remove Store::unset_flag() and its abstract declaration. Keep the production-used unset_flag_unsafe().
• Remove Map::HandleCommitter::set_commit_version().
• Remove Aft::is_retired_completed().

Signatures and utilities (#8332)

• Remove unused NodeSignature::get_serialized_size(), serialize(), and deserialize(). Signature tables use JSON serialization through ServiceValue; retain that path.
• Remove the orphan ccf::ds::system::exec() utility/header.
• Remove unused http::Message::get_headers(), clear_headers(), and get_content_data().
• Remove unused http::Request::get_method() and get_path(). Same-named methods on RPC contexts, curl requests, and Merkle proofs are unrelated and live.
• Remove unused NotifyingWriterFactory::get_outbound_work_beacon(); investigate its associated notification work below.

Python infrastructure (#8345)

• Remove ccall_with_pipe().
• Remove probably_free_remote_port(). Keep the live local-port finder.
• Remove two_different().
• Remove cert_bytes() and quote_bytes().
• Remove mk_new() and its recursively dead helper mk().

Dead variables, arguments, and recursively dead work

• Remove the unused "last new map" tracking chain:

  • StoreState::last_new_map
  • Store::next_version()'s previous_last_new_map result
  • Forwarding through CommittableTx
  • apply_changes::version_last_new_map, which is assigned but never read
  • Associated VersionLastNewMap alias, tuple component, updates, and commit_new_map argument
  • Preserve version allocation, rollback-count tracking, and actual new-map conflict checks.

• Remove unused per-key read-version metadata:

  • VersionV::read_version
  • Its copies into the second component of Read
  • LastReadVersion
  • Conflict checking consumes only component zero.
  • Keep ChangeSet::read_version: it implements live whole-map conflict tracking.

• Simplify the unreachable strict-version checking path:

  • The sole caller of Store::fill_maps() always passes ignore_strict_versions=true.
  • Review removal of that argument, the unreachable branch, and the strict_versions member/constructor option.
  • Preserve the remaining deserialization, rollback, and expected-TxID checks.

• Remove or simplify HandleCommitter::committed_writes:

  • Its only observation through has_writes() occurs before commit() sets it.
  • The true state is not observed in the current lifecycle.

• Remove the ignored force_become_leader argument from Aft::become_leader() and its callers.

• Remove Consensus::periodic_end() and its NodeState call:

  • Empty base implementation.
  • No overrides.
  • Same pattern as the unused hooks removed by Remove dead BFT execution code #8312.

• Eliminate unused outbound notification work:

  • outbound_work_beacon is allocated and notified, but no caller retrieves it to wait.
  • Outbound writes still perform locking, counter updates, and notifications.
  • Keep inbound notifications and shared functionality used elsewhere.

• Remove PIPE and Popen imports from the process-helper module when removing ccall_with_pipe(); it is their only user there.

Nearly dead: test-/benchmark-only production code

Decide whether to retain, move into test support, narrow the interface, or remove. Test-only use is not itself a reason to delete useful coverage.

History and proofs

• Review TxHistory / HashedTxHistory::get_proof() and verify_proof(); only history unit tests call these virtual APIs.
• Review the recursively test-/benchmark-only proof serialization and verification path:
  • Proof(vector)
  • Proof::to_v()
  • Proof::verify()
  • MerkleTreeHistory::verify()
• Review TxHistory::append() / HashedTxHistory::append(); the raw-byte API is used only by history benchmarks. Production uses append_entry().
• Move or otherwise isolate the test-only NullTxHistory -> NullTxHistoryPendingTx implementation chain.

Keep: MerkleTreeHistory::get_proof(), Proof::get_root(), Proof::get_path(), and TxHistory::get_raw_leaf() have production callers.

Location: History implementation

KV and consensus interfaces

• Review test-driver-only Aft::is_candidate(), is_backup(), and is_active().
• Review test/simulation accessors Aft::get_last_idx(), get_committed_seqno(), and get_state_representation().
• Review test-only Store::commit_view(); keep the underlying live commit-term state.
• Review test-only locked wrapper Store::flag_enabled(); production uses flag_enabled_unsafe().
• Review the test-only chain Store::unset_global_hook() -> Map::unset_global_hook().
• Review test-only CommittableTx::commit_term(). commit_version() has production callers.
• Review execution-wrapper get_index() plumbing:
  • Production forwards its result to LedgerEnclave::put_entry(), which ignores it.
  • The test ledger consumes it.
  • put_entry()'s term parameter is likewise test-consumed.
  • Keep execution-wrapper get_term(), which has other live uses.

HTTP and other utilities

• Review test-/benchmark-only free HTTP builders:

  • build_header()
  • build_request()
  • build_post_header()
  • build_post_request()
  • build_header() is reached through build_post_header().
  • Keep the production-used Request::build_request() member.

• Review test-only http::Request::set_method() and set_query_param().

• Review test-only SimpleResponseProcessor; SimpleRequestProcessor has production use.

• Review test-only CBOR mutation helpers ccf::cbor::with_element() and with_entry().

• Review test-only WorkerShutdownGate::is_shutting_down(); retain the live shutdown mechanism.

• Review test-/benchmark-only untimed WorkBeacon::wait_for_work(); timed waiting remains live.

Public indexing APIs: external-use caveat

No in-repository production instantiations found. External applications may legitimately use these APIs.

• Assess retention/deprecation of SeqnosByKey_InMemory and SeqnosByKey_InMemory_Untyped.
• Assess retention/deprecation of SeqnosForValue_Bucketed.

Compatibility-sensitive BFT and legacy remnants

These are review items, not unconditional deletion candidates.

• Document or review AppendEntries::contains_new_view; explicitly retained for wire compatibility.
• Review raft_append_entries_signed_response; no producer or implementation remains. Preserve numeric values of subsequent wire message types.
• Review ConsensusType::BFT and ServiceConfiguration::consensus; serialized configuration/API remnants rather than an active consensus-selection mechanism.
• Review NodeSignature::hashed_nonce; emitted empty but still part of signature JSON.
• Review deprecated PrimarySignature::commit_seqno and commit_view; emitted as zero, serialized, and checked by governance-history tests.
• Retain or explicitly version legacy read-set headers and the max_conflict_version placeholder. Removing dead in-memory metadata does not justify deleting legacy decoders.
• Assess the unused public ConsensusTypeMismatch error constant; no emission sites found.
• Record an explicit retain/remove/deprecate decision for each compatibility-sensitive item.