Blockchain History Tracing via Selective Block Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In blockchain systems, tracing the history of data transitions is difficult, particularly for smart contracts, due to the high costs and complexity of using external databases for searching and indexing large datasets.
Innovation Solution
A blockchain system with user and approval terminals that issue transactions, generate blocks, and update distributed ledgers, allowing users to easily track changes by referencing update block numbers and searching for specific block values within the ledger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If an external database such as RDBMS is prepared to store all pieces of data extracted from the blockchain, then searching and tracing capability is improved, but high costs are required for general users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary information (update block numbers and state transitions) from the blockchain and stores it in a simplified data structure within the terminal itself, rather than extracting all blockchain data to an external database. This selective extraction reduces storage requirements and system complexity while maintaining the ability to trace state changes.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating a full copy of the blockchain data in an external database, the patent creates a simplified copy that only stores the essential update block numbers and state transition information needed for tracing. This partial copying approach reduces costs and complexity while preserving the necessary tracing functionality.
2Loss of information
If all pieces of data from the blockchain are dropped to an external database, then data completeness is improved, but the complexity and cost of maintaining the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for state transition tracking (update block numbers and corresponding state values) from the blockchain data. This selective extraction maintains data completeness for tracing purposes while avoiding the complexity of storing and maintaining the entire blockchain dataset in an external database.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary processing of the blockchain data by pre-extracting and storing update block numbers and state transitions in a simplified structure within the terminal. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time processing and database maintenance operations when tracing is required.
3Productivity
If an index is constructed on the external database, then search efficiency is improved, but the cost and complexity of building and maintaining the index increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and stores update block numbers in a simplified data structure within the terminal, eliminating the need for complex indexing operations. The linear storage structure of update block numbers provides sufficient search efficiency without requiring additional index construction or maintenance infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A history of data can be easily traced on a blockchain. A blockchain system includes a user terminal 1 and an approval terminal 2. The user terminal 1 includes a transaction issuing unit 13 that issues a transaction for updating a value of a variable of a smart contract. The approval terminal 2 includes a block generation unit 153 that generates a block including the transaction and updates the value of the variable, and reflects the block and an update block number of the block in which the value of the variable is updated to a distributed ledger 11 of a terminal of the blockchain system.