Blockchain State Tree Hashing for Storage Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed blockchain networks face high computational and storage burdens due to the need for each node to process the entire network's transactional load and store large content-addressed state trees, which reduces efficiency in traversing and updating state data.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that stores blockchain data in location-addressed state trees, using a fixed-depth Merkle tree structure, where account states are updated and hashed, and hash values are stored in leaf nodes, reducing storage consumption and improving traversal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If content-addressed state trees are used to store blockchain data, then data integrity and immutability are improved, but storage space consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential verification element (hash value) from the complete account state and stores it in the state tree, while the full account state is stored separately in the trie database. This separation allows the state tree to remain compact while preserving data integrity through cryptographic hashing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an asymmetric storage structure where hash values (compact representation) are stored in the state tree for efficient verification, while the actual account state data (full representation) is stored in the trie database. This asymmetric approach optimizes both verification speed and storage efficiency.
2Reliability
If every node stores an entire copy of the world state, then data completeness is improved, but computational and storage burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the world state storage into two parts: a compact state tree containing hash values for verification, and a distributed trie database containing actual account state data. This segmentation allows nodes to maintain data completeness while reducing the computational burden of processing and traversing the entire state.
Solution Approach 2:
The state tree acts as an intermediary structure that provides efficient verification of account states without requiring nodes to process the entire world state. The root hash of the state tree serves as a mediator that confirms data integrity while enabling selective access to specific account states through the trie database.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the state tree grows large with continuous transactions, then historical data retention is improved, but traversal efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the hash value (a fixed-size compact representation) from each account state and stores it in the state tree, rather than storing the entire account state. This extraction maintains historical data for verification purposes while dramatically reducing the time required to traverse and update the state tree.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and non-transitory, computer-readable medium for blockchain data storage. One of the methods includes identifying an account identifier (ID) of a blockchain account involved in the transaction, wherein the transaction is included in a current block to be appended to a blockchain associated with the blockchain network based on performing a consensus algorithm; updating an account state corresponding to the account ID of the blockchain account to an updated account state based on the blockchain transaction after the current block is appended to the blockchain; hashing the updated account state to generate a hash value of the updated account state; identifying the hash value of the account state corresponding to the blockchain account based on the account ID of the blockchain account; and updating, in the current state database, the hash value of the account state to the hash value of the updated account state.