The Lambda Spark Upgrade: Empower Web3 with Better Storage

Lambda Storage has officially rebranded with the name LWS (Lambda Web3 Service), introducing crucial features and service updates. Testnet will be available on 14th March.

In 2019, Lambda announced its LPDP algorithm and launched its storage network. Three years later, it upgraded the consensus network and integrated it with the Cosmos SDK. The Lambda team has made significant upgrades to the storage network LEVM, storage incentive model, and data integrity verification modules, version named “Spark Upgrade,” after 5 years of reliability and security verification of distributed storage technology, as well as exploration of distributed storage user and business needs. The Lambda network now natively supports EVM contracts (LEVM) and implements storage proofing and storage incentive distribution in an innovative way above the LEVM contract.

Ⅰ. Introduction of LPDP algorithm

The Lambda Proof DP (LPDP) algorithm, which is at the heart of the Lambda Storage Network LWS and ensures data effectiveness and security reliability, was released by Lambda Network in 2020. The LPDP algorithm is described briefly below.

Please see the following reference for more information on the principles.

1. The user generates a tag for each piece of outsourced data that is signed by the user.
2. The challenger randomly challenges one block of outsourced data that contains a random number generated by TPA.
3. The storage provider calculates a proof based on the challenged data block content, tag information, challenge information, and a random number generated by itself.
4. Using the challenge, the proof, and the user’s public key as parameters, the verifier checks to see if the storage miner has the data. This is done by using the bilinearity property of the mapping function.

LPDP mathematical formula is simplified as follows:

LPDP Mathematical Formula

Here is the LPDP core formula:

LPDP Core Formula

Ⅱ. Technical Architecture of LWS

With the Spark upgrade, data effective storage verification in LWS will be directly realized via the PDP and Sector contracts running on LEVM, which are decoupled from the Lambda Network consensus network. The main roles involved in the process are as follows:

1. User: data storage demander and data delegator

Data is delegated to the Lambda Storage Network (LWS) for permanent storage by the user. Users gain access to and

use the storage network via the Filecoder, which signs and generates the tag for the data block. The filecoder enters the tag data into the challenge information list and makes it available to the entire network. In the next version upgrade, data stored in the Lambda Storage Network LWS with payment will be treated as permanent storage data;

2. Storage Provider: the data storage capacity provider (storage miner).

Storage miners need to provide storage services and prove their reliability to the network to obtain incentives. Storage miners synchronize user data with the compatible IPFS network and send a proof to the PDP contract during the predetermined challenge cycle. The proof is based on the challenged data block’s content, tag information, challenge information, and a random number that the system generates on its own.They can receive incentives after being verified by the Verifier.

3. Verifier & Challenger: Verifier and Challenger are independent third-party validators and challengers.

They can initiate storage challenges and verify data reliability based on public information on the chain and the storage miner’s proof information. They do not need to have a complete copy of the data and can be the same entity. Challengers can periodically generate challenge seeds, and anyone can become a challenger to ensure network data security. Verifiers can query information with verification on the chain at any time to obtain incentives after verification.

The Lambda Storage Network LWS technical framework is as follows:

LWS Technical Framework

Ⅲ. Business Model

1. User stores data:

Through third-party gateways like API or SDK access, the user can store data.The gateway is fully compatible with IPFS access for developer convenience. The gateway can be operated by any third party, and its approval is subject to approval by the data governance committee. Users will not have to pay for data storage in the beginning and will use LAMB to obtain permanent storage in subsequent version upgrades.

2. Storage Provider saves data:

In the first stage, storage miners must be bound to a validator who stably operates the consensus network, which means that only validators who participate in the consensus have the permission to provide storage services and obtain storage incentives.

The hardware and software used by the storage miner can be kept separate from the hardware and software used by the consensus network, and no extra pledges are needed.However, the obtained incentives are linked to the POS pledge amount in the same validator. Storage miners synchronize the pending proof tasks in the PDP contract on the chain on a regular basis and complete the data challenge in a specific cycle.

3. Verifier and challenger challenge and verify data storage effectiveness:

Any third party can become a challenger or verifier, and these two roles can be held by the same or different entities. Challengers and verifiers consume extremely few resources and do not need to save complete data. They only need to synchronize information in the PDP and sector contracts on the chain, as well as write challenge seeds and verify the Verify function on a regular basis.

4. User uses the data:

Any data transferred to the Lambda Storage Network generates a LWS link, and users only need to use the LWS link to access the data.

LWS Business Model

Ⅳ. Advantages

This major upgrade mainly achieves effective storage proofing through PDP and sector contracts and is decoupled from the Lambda Network consensus network, which brings several beneficial aspects:

1. The chain’s processing power is liberated, and we have improved the efficiency of the consensus network by more than 10 times, enhancing the chain’s business processing capabilities. This makes the Lambda Network’s infrastructure capable of carrying Dapps and combining with on-chain storage capabilities to form all Web3 businesses with storage capabilities at the core;
2. We can achieve storage function upgrades and iterations by upgrading the contract, reducing the impact of frequent hard fork upgrades on the storage business during the Lambda Network’s development process;
3. By using the standard pricing market, we reduce more than 90% of storage costs while ensuring effective storage. This avoids the malicious bidding between storage miners in a free market, which can raise storage costs infinity.