Systems and methods for selecting and utilizing a committee of validator nodes in a distributed system

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a distributed transaction system including a group of validator nodes that are known to each other in a network but are indistinguishable to other network nodes. The validator nodes form a Committee including a Leader node and one or more Associate nodes configured to receive and process transaction requests, for example, to add new blocks to one or more blockchains. The Committee may be dynamically changed, such that new network nodes may be added to the Committee or may replace existing validator nodes. The Associate nodes also may coordinate with each other to select a new Leader node. The disclosed embodiments reduce the distributed system's reliance on the stability of any particular node(s) in the network, as the validator nodes in the Committee may be changed at a sufficient frequency to remove unreliable, unavailable, or otherwise untrusted nodes. Further, the disclosed embodiments provide a scheme that helps ensure the Leader node, as well as the other Committee members, functions properly.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The disclosed embodiments relate to distributed transaction-based systems and, more particularly, systems and methods for selecting and utilizing a group of validator nodes that may be used to verify and record transactions for one or more blockchains in a distributed system.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]A network is a collection of interconnected nodes that exchange information. The nodes can include computers, servers, mobile devices, or any other device that can be configured to communicate with other nodes in the network. The network may be configured as a centralized system, such as a client-server system having one or more central servers in communication with one or more client devices, or may be configured as a decentralized system, such as a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. A P2P network is a system in which each network node, sometimes called a “peer,” may be directly connected to one or more other nodes in the network. Peers typically have simila...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent is about a system and method for a distributed blockchain system to handle transactions quickly and efficiently. The system uses improved protocols to reach a consensus between validator nodes in the committee, which can include using aggregate signatures to speed up the decision-making process. The system also reduces the reliance on any particular node and allows for the removal of unreliable or untrusted nodes. Overall, the system helps ensure proper functionality of the leader node and other committee members.

Problems solved by technology

Because the validator nodes in the Committee may be frequently replaced, for example, depending on the amount of time required to complete the POW challenges, it is difficult for malicious third parties to detect the complete set of validator nodes in the Committee at any given time.

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