Distributed Ledger Caching for High Availability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed ledgers like blockchains face challenges in maintaining high availability, scalability, and speed due to the immutability of recorded data, which can lead to latency issues when accessing and updating world state information across multiple node instances.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a containerized environment with local instance caches that provide quick access to world state information, allowing node instances to operate in a high-availability setup, where instance caches store frequently accessed data, reducing reliance on network access to remote world state databases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If distributed ledger nodes access world state information from remote databases over the network, then data consistency and immutability are maintained, but system latency increases and availability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the world state database into two parts: a remote authoritative database that maintains the complete immutable ledger, and local instance caches that store frequently accessed world state information. This segmentation allows nodes to access commonly needed data locally without network delays, while still maintaining the ability to access the complete authoritative data when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-loading world state information into local instance caches before it is actually needed for processing. Nodes proactively maintain up-to-date local copies of world state data, so when transactions need to access this information, it is already available locally, eliminating network access latency.
2Reliability
If multiple node instances are deployed for high availability, then system robustness improves, but system complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating local replicas of the world state database in instance caches at each node. These copies are maintained through synchronization mechanisms that ensure they reflect the authoritative remote database. This copying approach allows multiple node instances to operate independently with local data, reducing complexity compared to requiring constant centralized coordination.
3Speed
If local instance caches are implemented, then access speed and scalability improve, but data consistency challenges arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where local instance caches continuously monitor and synchronize with the remote authoritative database. When the remote database is updated with new blocks or world state changes, this information is fed back to the local caches, which then update their copies accordingly. This feedback loop ensures data consistency while maintaining the speed benefits of local caching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary synchronization mechanism that mediates between the remote authoritative database and local instance caches. This intermediary layer handles data synchronization, conflict resolution, and consistency maintenance, allowing local caches to operate independently for speed while ensuring they remain consistent with the authoritative source.
Data Source
AI summary
A system described herein may receive a proposed interaction with a distributed ledger, including a reference to a value that has been previously recorded to the distributed ledger. The system may attempt to obtain the value from an associated cache. If the value is unable to be obtained from the cache, the system may communication with an external device via a network to obtain the value. The system may execute the proposed interaction based on the obtained first value. The system may receive a finalized block based on the executed interaction, and may update the cache based on one or more values included in the finalized block.