[BUG] HashLoadBalancer rebuilds consistent-hash ring + allocates MD5 MessageDigest per virtual node per request
- Dominant language
- Java
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Description
## Description
`doSelect` allocates a fresh `ConcurrentSkipListMap` and, for every upstream x 5 virtual nodes, calls `hash("SHENYU-" + upstream.getUrl() + "-HASH-" + i)` which does `MessageDigest.getInstance("MD5")` (JCA lookup + new instance), `key.getBytes(UTF_8)`, and `md5.digest()` (new `byte[]`). The ring is never cached; it is fully rebuilt on every selection even though the upstream set only changes on health-check/admin events.
## Location
```
shenyu-loadbalancer/.../spi/HashLoadBalancer.java:44-56 (doSelect), 58-77 (hash)
```
## Impact
Per hash-LB request: 1 SkipListMap + 5*N MD5 instances + 5*N String concatenations + 5*N `byte[]` digests. For N=10 upstreams that's 50 MD5 hashes/request. Very high CPU + allocation on the sticky/consistent-hash path; scales linearly with RPS and upstream count.
## Suggested fix
Build and cache the ring (e.g. `ConcurrentHashMap>` keyed by selectorId, invalidated when `UpstreamCacheManager.submit`/health-check mutates the list). Use a `ThreadLocal` or a faster non-crypto hash (murmur3/xxHash). Precompute virtual-node keys when the upstream list changes.
## Related existing issue(s)
None
_Identified during the 2026-08-02 audit; full list in [`docs/issue-candidates-2026-08-02.md`](docs/issue-candidates-2026-08-02.md)._
Contributor guide
No contributing guide indexed for this repository
Research direction
Start with shenyu-loadbalancer/.../spi/HashLoadBalancer.java:44-77, reading doSelect and hash to measure the current ring and digest allocations. Trace UpstreamCacheManager.submit and health-check list mutations to determine invalidation points. Done means the ring and hash-related work are not rebuilt for every selection, while selection behavior remains consistent when upstreams change.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- java
- Domain
- backend, performance
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100