Syncing blockchain nodes with snapshots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10839377-B2
Application number	US-202016773149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2020
Priority date	Jan 25, 2019
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

System and method for synchronizing blockchain nodes by using snapshots.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising: with a blockchain platform:
generating a first snapchain node having a snapchain configuration;
synchronizing a first chain-state of the first snapchain node with a blockchain network;
generating first snapshot tag information for the first snapchain node based on configuration of the first snapchain node;
generating a first snapshot of the first chain-state;
storing the first snapshot in association with the first snapshot tag information;
generating a second node; and
synchronizing a second chain-state of the second node by using the first snapshot,
wherein the second node is a long-lived node having a long-lived configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a parent node; wherein the parent node generates the first snapchain node and generates the first snapshot tag information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the parent node generates the first snapshot.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the parent node controls a datastore storing the first chain-state to: generate the first snapshot, and store the first snapshot in association with the first snapshot tag information.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein synchronizing the second chain-state of the second node by using the first snapshot comprises: selecting the first snapshot from among a plurality of snapshots, based on a match between a configuration associated with the second node and the first snapshot tag information of the first snapshot.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first snapshot tag information identifies an implementation, blockchain network, specialization, version, and time stamp associated with the first snapshot, and wherein the configuration of the second node identifies an implementation, network, specialization, and version associated with the second node.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein selecting the first snapshot from among a plurality of snapshots comprises selecting the first snapshot based on a match between an implementation, blockchain network, and specialization identified by the first snapshot tag information and an implementation, blockchain network, and specialization of the configuration of the second node, wherein the first snapshot is the most recent snapshot whose implementation, network, and specialization match the configuration of the second node.

8. A method comprising: with a blockchain platform:
creating a parent node;
with the parent node, spawning a first child node from the parent node, the first child node having a snapchain configuration;
synchronizing a first chain-state of the first child node with a blockchain network;
with the parent node, receiving a synchronization completion signal from the first child node indicating that synchronization is complete;
responsive to the synchronization completion signal, with the parent node, sending a terminating signal to the first child node;
with the parent node, receiving a termination complete signal from the first child node indicating that termination has completed;
with the parent node, generating first snapshot tag information for the first child node based on configuration of the first child node; and
responsive to the termination complete signal, with the parent node, sending a signal to generate a first snapshot of the first chain-state and store the first snapshot in association with the first snapshot tag information.

9. The method of claim 8 ,
wherein sending the signal to generate the first snapshot comprises: sending a snapshot request to a datastore storing the first chain-state,
wherein the snapshot request identifies the first snapshot tag information.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, performing health checks on the first child node to determine whether the first child node satisfies health-check criteria, wherein sending a terminating signal to the first child node comprises: sending the terminating signal to the first child node responsive to a determination that the first child node satisfies health-check criteria.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, with the parent node:
spawning a second child node from the parent node; and
synchronizing a second chain-state of the second child node by using the first snapshot.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second child node has a snapchain configuration.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second child node has a long-lived configuration.

Assignees

• Coinbase Inc

Inventors

• Scrivner Eric
• Werner Matthew
• Kearney Robert John

Classifications

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• G06Q20/0655

  e-cash managed centrally · CPC title

• H04L9/0637

  Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM] · CPC title

• G06F16/2365

  Ensuring data consistency and integrity · CPC title

• G06F16/2379

  Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing · CPC title