Blockchain Block Synchronization via Sectioned Snapshot Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blockchain networks face challenges in quickly synchronizing new or reconnected nodes, which can lead to delayed participation in distributed consensus and increased network traffic, and are vulnerable to malicious nodes distorting the state during synchronization.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for synchronizing blocks in a blockchain network that calculates the current section of the blockchain, generates and verifies snapshots by receiving block headers and segment hash tables from participating nodes, and stores the verified snapshot in a state database, allowing for parallel synchronization and verification of node information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a new node receives blocks from genesis block to current block sequentially to synchronize state, then the node achieves complete synchronization with other nodes, but the synchronization process takes days, weeks, or months depending on the number of blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the blockchain into sections with predetermined block number ranges. Instead of transferring all blocks sequentially from genesis, the system transfers only the relevant section containing the current block and necessary parent blocks for consensus validation. This segmentation reduces the synchronization data volume from potentially millions of blocks to just one section (e.g., 1000 blocks), enabling rapid node onboarding while maintaining synchronization reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-calculates and stores section information including the latest block number, parent block hash, and consensus information for each section. When a new node joins, it can directly retrieve the relevant section data without sequentially processing all historical blocks. This preliminary organization of data allows the node to quickly obtain the current state and participate in consensus within minutes rather than months.
2Loss of time
If a dishonest node transfers a distorted state snapshot to a new node, then the new node achieves fast synchronization, but the synchronized state becomes erroneous and compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements verification mechanisms where the new node validates the transferred section data against the blockchain consensus rules. The node verifies the parent block hash, consensus information, and block number continuity to ensure the transferred section is authentic and未被篡改. This feedback verification prevents malicious nodes from injecting distorted state snapshots, as any tampering would fail the validation checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent requires that before a new node accepts transferred section data, it must verify the data's authenticity through cryptographic validation of block hashes and consensus signatures. This preliminary anti-action against potential malicious injection ensures that even if a dishonest node attempts to transfer distorted state, the verification process will reject the invalid data before synchronization completes, protecting state integrity.
3Reliability
If nodes connected through cloud service transfer large snapshot data, then complete state synchronization is achieved, but network traffic increases and usage costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary portion of the blockchain state (one section with current block and parent blocks) required for the new node to participate in consensus, rather than transferring the entire blockchain snapshot. This extraction approach reduces network traffic from potentially gigabytes of historical data to just kilobytes or megabytes of relevant section data, significantly lowering cloud service costs and energy consumption while maintaining sufficient synchronization completeness for consensus participation.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for synchronizing a block in a blockchain network. The apparatus synchronizes node information of existing participating nodes connected to a blockchain network by joining the blockchain network, determines synchronization target blocks by calculating the current section of a blockchain using an agreed-upon block received from the existing participating nodes, receives a block header of each section and the segment hash table of a snapshot that are verification data for verifying synchronization target data for the synchronization target blocks from participating nodes that are not connected as peers, among the existing participating nodes, generates a snapshot by receiving snapshot segments and the blocks of the current section, which are the synchronization target data, from participating nodes connected as peers, among the existing participating nodes, verifies the snapshot generated from the snapshot segments, and synchronizes the verified snapshot.