Blockchain Node Local Transaction Buffering for Offline Reconnection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blockchain technologies require all nodes to be always online, leading to transaction discards when a node reconnects after being offline, which is a challenge especially in IoT environments with erratic network connections.
Innovation Solution
A blockchain framework that designates a current leader node to broadcast messages to other nodes, identifies offline nodes, and allows them to store transaction data locally, enabling the recording of these transactions to the main chain when the node reconnects, without discarding previously committed transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all nodes are required to maintain always active connection to the network, then transaction commitment can be performed at instants of block commitment, but nodes with unstable network connections (such as IoT devices) cannot reliably participate in the blockchain network
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having nodes store transactions locally in a buffer before they can be committed to the blockchain. When a node is offline, transactions are queued locally, and upon reconnection, the node can submit these pre-stored transactions for commitment, eliminating the need for continuous network connectivity during the transaction creation phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - a local transaction buffer or storage system at each node - that mediates between the node and the blockchain network. This intermediary allows nodes to operate independently when offline, storing transactions locally, and then synchronize with the network when online, thus decoupling the requirement for continuous connectivity from transaction participation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a disconnected node is left behind and must catch up by downloading all new blocks, then network consistency is maintained, but significant time and bandwidth are lost, and transactions committed during disconnection are discarded
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the essential transaction data from the full block structure and allows offline nodes to store and transmit only the necessary transaction information when reconnected. This extraction principle enables nodes to catch up more efficiently by focusing on critical data rather than downloading entire block histories, reducing reconnection time and bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Nodes perform preliminary actions by maintaining local copies of transactions and their commitment status before disconnection occurs. When reconnected, they can quickly resync by exchanging only the differential information (new blocks since disconnection) rather than downloading the entire blockchain history, significantly reducing catch-up time.
3Productivity
If transactions are committed locally when a node is disconnected, then the node can continue operating, but upon reconnection all previously committed transactions are cancelled or reverted
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where nodes continuously monitor their connection status and the status of their locally committed transactions. When a node reconnects, it receives feedback about which transactions were successfully committed and which need to be re-submitted. This feedback loop allows the node to adjust its local state accordingly, ensuring that transaction commitments are ultimately confirmed on the main chain without permanent loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by having nodes maintain a buffer or queue of transactions that are locally committed but not yet confirmed on the main chain. This cushion buffer protects against transaction loss by preserving the transaction data and its commitment evidence, allowing the node to recover and re-submit transactions if they are reverted upon reconnection, thus cushioning against the harmful effect of transaction cancellation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method for writing and retrieval of data in a blockchain with a plurality of nodes adapted to manage multiple assets is provided. The method includes identifying nodes that are offline and determining by the nodes itself whether it is online or offline, at a current instant; storing, by the nodes that are offline, corresponding transaction data related to managed assets, locally therein; determining if any of the offline nodes at a previous instant is back online at the current instant; receiving transaction data from such nodes that are back online; and recording the received transaction data to a current block in the blockchain, if there has been no transaction data for the asset recorded in any of the blocks committed between the node was last identified to be offline and the current instant.