Blockchain Node Consensus Using Erasure Coding and Epoch Weights
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) mechanisms in distributed blockchain networks are inefficient, leading to increased latency and complexity due to network bottlenecks and the inability to promptly recover from faulty nodes, especially in large consensus groups.
Innovation Solution
Implementing improved consensus mechanisms that convert transaction requests into erasure code blocks, assign weights to consensus process phases, and use an epoch change process based on weight sums to select a new primary node, while also facilitating a recovery process that does not interfere with normal consensus operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing BFT mechanisms are used for consensus among network nodes, then reliability is maintained, but latency increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The transaction request is segmented into multiple erasure code blocks that are distributed across different network nodes. This segmentation allows parallel processing and reduces the time for consensus achievement, directly addressing the latency issue while maintaining reliability through the erasure code reconstruction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Erasure codes are generated in advance from the transaction request before distribution to network nodes. This preliminary encoding enables faster consensus processing because nodes can work with pre-encoded blocks rather than processing complete transactions, improving consensus efficiency without sacrificing reliability.
2Reliability
If traditional consensus mechanisms are used, then reliability is ensured, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The essential consensus information is extracted from complete transaction requests and encoded into compact erasure code blocks. Only these essential encoded blocks are transmitted across the network, significantly reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining consensus reliability through the mathematical properties of erasure codes that enable reconstruction from subsets of blocks.
3Reliability
If existing node recovery processes are implemented, then system reliability is maintained, but complexity increases and normal operations are interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service recovery where new nodes automatically join the network and retrieve erasure code blocks from existing nodes without requiring complex manual configuration or interfering with ongoing consensus operations. The erasure code structure enables automatic reconstruction of transaction data, simplifying the recovery process while maintaining reliability.
4Productivity
If primary node selection follows traditional methods, then fairness is achieved, but selection time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Weight sums for potential primary nodes are calculated in advance based on their performance metrics and reliability scores. This preliminary weighting enables rapid primary node selection during epoch changes without requiring time-consuming evaluations, improving selection speed while maintaining fairness through the pre-established weighting criteria.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations of the present specification include a computer-implemented method for achieving a consensus among a number of network nodes of a blockchain network. The blockchain network includes a primary node and one or more backup nodes. The method includes receiving a transaction request by the primary node, sending a number of first messages to the backup nodes by the primary node, receiving second messages from the backup nodes by the primary node, reconstructing the transaction request based on data in the second messages by the primary node, sending a third message to the backup nodes by the primary node, and executing the transaction request in response to receiving a predetermined number of third messages.