Blockchain Relay Clusters for Load Balanced Message Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current blockchain networks face instability and communication delays due to reliance on single relay nodes for message transmission, leading to poor network stability and unsatisfactory application performance.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a blockchain relay communication network with relay clusters, each containing a load balancer and multiple relay nodes, which allocates and transmits messages based on identification information, ensuring load balancing and alternative routing to maintain network stability even if individual relay nodes fail.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single relay node is used for message transmission in blockchain networks, then the device complexity is reduced, but the network stability and communication reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverelay node structureVSAvoidnetwork stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the relay communication network into multiple relay clusters, where each cluster contains multiple relay nodes. This segmentation allows the system to distribute message transmission across multiple nodes, improving reliability while maintaining manageable complexity through modular cluster organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple relay nodes are combined into relay clusters that work together to handle message transmission. The load balancer combines the capabilities of multiple relay nodes, distributing messages across them to achieve both high reliability and efficient resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If multiple relay nodes are deployed in relay clusters, then the network stability and message transmission reliability are improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage transmission stabilityVSAvoidrelay cluster structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The load balancer serves as an intermediary between blockchain nodes and relay nodes within clusters. It manages message routing and load distribution, abstracting the complexity of multiple relay nodes from the blockchain nodes while ensuring reliable message transmission through coordinated relay node operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If relay clusters with load balancers are implemented, then the communication efficiency and network stability are enhanced, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidrelay communication system
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically assigns messages to relay nodes based on current load conditions and node availability. The load balancer continuously monitors and adjusts message routing in real-time, optimizing communication efficiency while adapting to changing network conditions, thereby justifying the increased system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters such as message routing decisions, relay node selection, and load distribution based on network conditions. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system achieves high communication efficiency while managing complexity through adaptive rather than static configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If load balancing and alternative routing are implemented, then the network stability during relay node failure is improved, but the message processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidmessage processing logic
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-establishes multiple relay clusters and configures alternative routing paths before failures occur. When a relay node fails, the load balancer can immediately redirect messages through alternative nodes in the same cluster or through other clusters, ensuring service continuity without requiring complex real-time decision-making during failure events.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3975027B1Blockchain systems, and message transmission methods and apparatuses
Publication Date: 2024.06.12 ANT BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY (SHANGHAI) CO LTD
  • EP3975027B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3975027B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3975027B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7

AI summary

One or more embodiments of this specification provide a blockchain system, and a message transmission method and apparatus. The method is applicable to a load balancer belonging to any relay cluster in a blockchain relay communication network, the blockchain relay communication network includes at least one relay cluster, each blockchain node is connected to at least one relay cluster, each relay cluster includes a load balancer and at least one relay node connected to the load balancer. The method includes: allocating, after receiving a blockchain message from any blockchain node, the blockchain message to a specific relay node in the any relay cluster, for the specific relay node to determine a target relay cluster according to identification information included in the blockchain message, the target relay cluster is connected to a target blockchain node indicated by the blockchain message; and transmitting, after receiving the blockchain message returned by the specific relay node, the target blockchain message to the target blockchain node through the target relay cluster.