Easing Node Runner Roadblocks With KSYNC

Nodes* play a crucial role in Web3’s overall technological development and functionality. However, as the Web3 space grows and more data is added into the space, they’re running into roadblocks, especially when wanting to join a new network.

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After discussing with nodes such as ChorusOne on the different needs for aiding these roadblocks, we all came up with a perfect use case for KYVE’s upcoming Cosmos Hub data pool… dubbed KSYNC*.

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In this course, you will learn all about KSYNC: how it works, real-life use cases, and how it aims to help all nodes, especially those new to certain networks →

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Today’s Node Runner Roadblocks & KSYNC Explained

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As the Web3 space grows each day, more and more data is added to the space. In order to manage the growth of these networks, nodes are essential players. However, to do so, they need all the blockchain’s data at hand, which, as more data is added, becomes very tedious and expensive to run. Discover the different types of nodes and their roles in our node course.

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Due to this issue, archival nodes are becoming a lot less incentivized to run as more and more are pruning their nodes for fewer storage costs and relying on others (i.e., Centralized or paid solutions) to provide them with the data they need to keep running.

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Already, this is a hefty issue for those running in the space; however, it is even more complicated for those who are new and want to join in. At the moment, new nodes in networks are relying on syncs from other nodes or centralized sources, which can be very unreliable and or expensive.

Where KSYNC Comes In Seeing that KYVE’s technology permanently validates and archives blockchain data in a decentralized way, making it freely accessible to all, we saw a great opportunity for this data to be used to help nodes overcome this issue, creating KSYNC*.

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Thanks to KSYNC, a data syncing tool, nodes can retrieve the necessary data from KYVE and directly feed the blocks into every application in order to sync blocks and more easily join the network. This makes operating nodes way cheaper and even may make archival nodes obsolete since blocks archived by KYVE can then be safely dropped.|

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An example being nodes running in the Cosmos ecosystem, which retrieve the data directly from KYVE’s Cosmos Hub data pool and directly feed the blocks into every Tendermint-based Blockchain Application in order to sync blocks and join the network.

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How KSYNC Works

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Let’s get technical… KSYNC comes with two sync modes which can be applied depending on the type of application. There is DB-SYNC, which syncs blocks by directly communicating with the app and writing the data directly to the database.

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Then there is P2P-SYNC, where KSYNC mocks a peer in the network which has all the required blocks, streaming them over the dedicated block channels over to the node. After a node has been successfully synced with KSYNC, the node simply can fetch the remaining blocks and switch to live mode like it would have if synced normally.

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DB-SYNC

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In this sync mode, KSYNC mocks the Tendermint process, which communicates directly with the blockchain application over ABCI and replays the blocks against the app, and manually writes the results to the DB directly.

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P2P-SYNC

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In this sync mode, KSYNC mocks a peer which has all the blocks the actual peer node needs. The blocks are then streamed over the dedicated block channels and storing them is handled by the node itself.

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KSYNC Real-World Use Cases

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KSYNC offers an innovative solution to the previously stated roadblocks for today’s node runners.

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For example, prominent ecosystem validators like Chorus One aim to leverage KYVE’s decentralized data archiving technology to access the necessary blockchain data from the Cosmos Hub data pool. This data is then fed directly into their Tendermint-based applications, enabling seamless syncing and integration with the network. This allows Chorus One to support nodes in joining networks more efficiently and strengthens the overall ecosystem’s decentralization and resilience.

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As stated by Felix Lutsch, Chief Commercial Officer at Chorus One, KYVE’s Cosmos Hub data pool “provides validators like us and other network participants with the ability to retrieve data to sync nodes quickly and in a trust-minimized manner. Especially in critical situations such as a breaking network upgrade, the existence of this pool removes an important vector of centralization and the reliance on trusted parties providing the state data in some other form.”

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KSYNC is not just limited to just this use case. As more data pools are created on KYVE’s mainnet network, nodes will be able to use KSYNC tooling to sync directly with whatever blockchain-archiving data pool is created. KSYNC can also sync with certain binaries, for example, Osmosis via the P2P-SYNC.

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Conclusion & Resources

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Congratulations! You made it through the KYVE KSYNC course! You now know KYVE’s KSYNC use case for aiding nodes joining new networks and keeping up with Web3’s growth.

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Want to go deeper into the technology of KYVE? Feel free to check these resources:

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• If you’d like to learn the installation of KSYNC, or other requirement details, check out KYVE GitHub.
• Run into a few words you weren’t aware of? The words marked with * in this article are defined in KYVE’s Glossary!