Here’s an article:
Ethereum: Synchronizing a Bitcoin Node with Multiple Cores
I’m syncing my node across 32 CPUs and it’s super slow.
Obviously, the sync does not run in parallel. I’m wondering if there’s a fundamental barrier to a divide-and-conquer approach.
So, let’s say I have a large blockchain to sync, say 100MB or more. If I were to use the traditional method of syncing all the nodes at once, it would take a ridiculously long time – maybe even days or weeks.
But what if I could break that task into smaller chunks? For example, I could create multiple processes to quickly sync some nodes while the others continue on their own.
This is exactly how some people have implemented this divide-and-conquer approach. Here’s a blueprint of what it might look like:
- Get a chunk of data: Take a chunk of the blockchain and sync it using a single node.
- Create a new process
: Start a new process that will work on synchronizing this smaller chunk of data.
- Use more cores: Use as many processor cores as possible to make progress on this new task.
- Move pieces: Periodically move pieces of data from the old process’s focus area back to a node with less load, so that the new process can work on it.
This approach allows nodes to stay synchronized at their own pace, without having to wait for everyone else to catch up. However, there are some fundamental obstacles that make this method challenging:
- Interprocess communication: Interprocess communication can be tricky, especially when dealing with large amounts of data.
- Resource management: Coordinating the allocation and use of resources (e.g., CPU cores) is essential, but can be difficult to manage effectively.
- Global Consensus: Ensuring that all nodes agree on the latest data and synchronization process requires a certain level of coordination, which can be difficult to achieve.
Despite these challenges, some experienced developers are experimenting with this “divide and conquer” approach. For example:
- Binance Smart Chain
: Binance uses a similar method, splitting the blockchain into smaller parts and processing them in parallel.
- Polygon: Polygon is another project that has implemented a “divide and conquer” synchronization strategy, using multiple processes to get some nodes up and running quickly.
While this approach may not be suitable for all use cases, it is an interesting example of how people are exploring alternative ways to make synchronization more efficient and scalable.
