Blockchain Splitting and Merging for Decentralized Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Centralized databases face issues such as single points of failure, dependency on network connectivity, limited access, and difficulty in data redundancy, which hinder efficient data management and accessibility.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a blockchain-based system that allows for the splitting and merging of blockchains, enabling data and asset movement while preserving history, through the use of split and merge blocks that manage network consensus, membership, and asset division across new blockchains.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a centralized database is used to store and maintain data in a single location, then it is easy to manage, maintain, and control with minimized data redundancy, but it has a single point of failure and limited access to data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of managementVSAvoidsingle point of failure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized database into multiple distributed nodes across a network. Each node maintains a copy of the database, eliminating the single point of failure while preserving management capabilities through coordinated consensus mechanisms among nodes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If a centralized database is used, then data redundancy is minimized with a single storing place, but data accessibility and availability are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata redundancyVSAvoiddata accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates multiple copies of the database across distributed nodes in the network. Each node stores and maintains a copy of the data, enabling simultaneous access from multiple points while maintaining data consistency through consensus protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Quantity of substance

If a centralized database experiences high traffic, then all data is stored in one location, but bottlenecks occur and access time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata concentrationVSAvoidtransaction throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the database workload across multiple distributed nodes. Each node handles a portion of the traffic independently, eliminating bottlenecks and enabling parallel transaction processing that increases overall system throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Loss of information

If permissioned blockchains are used for specific applications, then data can be shared with complete history, but the initial design of asset-to-blockchain mapping cannot be changed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehistory preservationVSAvoidblockchain reconfigurability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic blockchain reconfiguration capabilities that allow the system to transition from static permissioned blockchains to dynamic permissionless blockchains. This enables assets to be moved between blockchains while preserving their complete transaction history through the dynamic nature of the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11314771B2Splitting and merging of storages

Publication Date: 2022.04.26 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

An example operation may include one or more of receiving, by an orderer, a split transaction that contains configuration transactions for new channels, generating, by the orderer, a split block that includes a split transaction payload and a block header, and sending, by the orderer, the split block to participant nodes to form new channels based on a content of the split block.