Blockchain Epoch Compression for Scalable Distributed Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The scalability of blockchain systems is hindered by their ever-growing size due to the need to record every transaction, leading to increased storage and computational burdens.
Innovation Solution
Introducing a method to generate and utilize compressed blocks within a chain of blocks, which replace sets of uncompressed blocks, maintaining an equivalent final state and allowing for the removal of earlier blocks based on predetermined conditions, thereby reducing the chain size and storage requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If every transaction is recorded in the blockchain, then the transaction history integrity is maintained, but the blockchain size grows indefinitely
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual transaction blocks are merged into a single compressed block that represents the cumulative effect of all transactions in a epoch. The compressed block contains aggregated state changes rather than individual transaction details, reducing the number of blocks stored while preserving the final state integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The block compression mechanism changes the parameter representation from individual transaction-level details to aggregated state-level parameters. By storing only the net effect of transactions (state changes) rather than each transaction's full details, the storage requirement is reduced while maintaining the ability to verify the final state.
2Loss of information
If all transaction blocks are retained, then the complete audit log is available, but the storage and computational burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential state-changing information from individual transactions and stores it in compressed blocks. Non-essential transaction details are omitted, keeping only the net effect on account balances and state, thereby reducing storage burden while preserving audit capability for the final state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically determines which blocks to retain and which to compress based on epoch boundaries and state equivalence. The compression is applied selectively to epochs where the final state can be verified without individual transaction data, allowing flexible management of storage resources while maintaining audit integrity.
3Manufacturing precision
If uncompressed blocks are used, then detailed transaction information is preserved, but the chain grows larger and processing becomes more intensive
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of preserving complete transaction details for every block, the system applies partial action by storing only the essential state changes in compressed blocks. This partial preservation is sufficient for verifying the final state and maintaining audit logs, while significantly reducing processing intensity compared to handling every individual transaction.
Data Source
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AI summary
According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method, comprising: receiving an input ordered set of transactions after a genesis block or a preceding compressed block in a chain of blocks, generating a compressed block on the basis of the input ordered set of transactions, wherein processing of the compressed block results to an equivalent final state as processing of the input ordered set of transactions, and providing the compressed block to a distributed network for establishing a new chain epoch and replacing a set of uncompressed blocks associated with the input ordered set of transactions.