code: public static Message buildNewEpochMessage(long epoch, int syncTimeoutMs) {
      NewEpoch nEpoch = NewEpoch.newBuilder()
                                .setNewEpoch(epoch)
                                .setSyncTimeout(syncTimeoutMs)
                                .build();
      return  Message.newBuilder().setType(MessageType.NEW_EPOCH)
                                  .setNewEpoch(nEpoch)
                                  .build();
    }
docs: Creates a NEW_EPOCH message.
  
  @param epoch the new proposed epoch number.
  @param syncTimeoutMs the timeout for synchronization.
  @return the protobuf message.