Blockchain Block Delivery Graph Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gossip protocol in blockchain networks is inefficient due to high network overhead, slow peer synchronization, and lack of consideration for varying network path qualities, leading to bottlenecks and increased costs in complex networks with multiple peers.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that collect state and quality of service (QoS) data from peers to build a network graph, which is mapped to a block delivery graph (BDG) to optimize block delivery, prioritizing paths based on latency, bandwidth, and peer roles, thereby minimizing network bandwidth consumption and ensuring faster synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gossip protocol is used for block distribution in blockchain networks, then all peers can be reached and synchronized, but high network overhead and repeated transmissions occur leading to inefficient resource utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the peer network into clusters based on network topology and quality of service metrics. Instead of treating all peers uniformly, the system divides them into groups where blocks are propagated within clusters first, then between cluster representatives. This segmentation reduces redundant transmissions across the entire network while ensuring all peers eventually receive blocks, resolving the contradiction between comprehensive synchronization and bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters used for peer selection from uniform random selection to selection based on quality of service parameters including network latency, bandwidth availability, and peer responsiveness. By dynamically adjusting which peers receive blocks based on these parameters, the system optimizes network traffic patterns and reduces overall bandwidth consumption while maintaining synchronization reliability across all peers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If random block transmission is used among all peers, then network coverage is maximized, but transmission time increases and peers take longer to catch up
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing a block delivery graph that identifies optimal transmission paths and peer sequences before actual block propagation occurs. The system pre-calculates which peers should receive blocks from which sources based on network topology and quality metrics, eliminating the need for random trial-and-error transmissions. This preliminary planning ensures comprehensive network coverage is achieved quickly and efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary peers (cluster representatives) that act as mediators between block producers and ordinary peers. Blocks are first transmitted to these intermediaries who then distribute them to their respective clusters. This intermediary layer optimizes the transmission process by consolidating traffic patterns and reducing the total number of direct transmissions needed, thereby maintaining network coverage while reducing synchronization time.
3Ease of manufacture
If all network paths are assumed to have similar performance, then the gossip protocol is simple to implement, but actual performance varies significantly leading to suboptimal block delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the implementation by introducing quality of service parameter measurements including network latency, bandwidth, and peer responsiveness metrics. Instead of treating all paths equally, the system incorporates these parameters into peer selection and block routing decisions. This parameter-based approach maintains reasonable implementation complexity while dramatically improving block delivery speed by utilizing high-performance paths preferentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the block delivery mechanism dynamic by continuously monitoring network conditions and adjusting peer selection and transmission paths in real-time. Rather than using static uniform distribution, the system adapts its behavior based on current network state, selecting peers and paths that offer optimal performance at any given moment. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining implementation feasibility while achieving superior delivery speed.
Data Source
AI summary
An example operation may include one or more of collecting, by a lead peer, state and quality of service (QoS) data from a plurality of peers of a blockchain network, building, by the lead peer, a network graph (NG) based on the state and the QoS data from the plurality of the peers, and mapping, by the lead peer, the NG to a block deliver graph (BDG), wherein edges of the BDG represent a sequence of blocks to be sent from a source peer to a destination peer.