Blockchain Hardware Accelerator Scheduler for Transaction Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Permissioned blockchains, such as Hyperledger Fabric, face bottlenecks in transaction validation due to the need for certain nodes to validate multiple transactions, which limits the ability to quickly commit new transactions.
Innovation Solution
A hardware accelerator with a scheduler circuit and endorsement verification engine circuits that assign resources based on the number of endorsements in each transaction, allowing for parallel processing and out-of-order validation to prevent idle resources and improve throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple transactions are validated sequentially by certain nodes, then validation accuracy is maintained, but transaction commit throughput is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The validation process is segmented into independent parallel validation circuits, each capable of validating transactions independently. The scheduler divides the validation workload across multiple circuits simultaneously, enabling parallel processing while maintaining validation accuracy through independent verification paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduler performs preliminary assignment of transactions to validation circuits based on endorsement requirements before validation begins. This preliminary organization ensures that transactions are distributed optimally across available circuits, preventing idle resources and maximizing throughput from the start of the validation process.
2Productivity
If validation resources are allocated statically to transactions, then resource allocation is simple, but validation efficiency decreases due to idle resources
Solution Approach 1:
The scheduler dynamically allocates validation circuits to transactions based on real-time endorsement requirements and circuit availability. This dynamic allocation allows the system to adapt to varying transaction loads and endorsement complexities, maximizing resource utilization while maintaining simple circuit designs through standardized validation logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the allocation parameters of validation circuits based on transaction characteristics such as endorsement count and validation complexity. By adjusting which circuits handle which transactions based on these parameters, the system optimizes validation efficiency without requiring complex circuit modifications.
3Productivity
If transactions are validated in order, then validation consistency is maintained, but resource utilization decreases due to idle circuits waiting for previous transactions
Solution Approach 1:
The scheduler performs preliminary assignment of transactions to specific validation circuits based on endorsement patterns before validation begins. This preliminary organization allows out-of-order execution while maintaining consistency because each circuit is pre-assigned transactions that share similar endorsement characteristics, ensuring validations can proceed independently without conflicts.
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduler acts as an intermediary that manages the out-of-order validation process by tracking which transactions have been validated and ensuring proper ordering of results. This intermediary coordination allows validation circuits to work independently in parallel while maintaining overall validation consistency through centralized result management.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein describe a hardware accelerator for a blockchain node. The hardware accelerator is used to perform a validation operation to validate one or more transactions before those transactions are committed to a ledger of a blockchain. The embodiments herein describe a scheduler for assigning validation engines to the transactions in response to the number of endorsements in the transactions.