Ever wondered why even the fastest blockchains slow down when traffic spikes? The cause isn’t always as straightforward as a lack of bandwidth. In many cases, the culprit is data storage and communication bottlenecks.

While many L1s and L2s tout high TPS and throughput numbers, they often struggle to effectively manage large data loads and heavy bandwidth consumed by storage and I/O operations. When network activity spikes, blockchains relying on conventional hardware inevitably face congestion.

The Storage I/O Bottleneck Explained

Blockchain storage typically comprises three main components:

• RAM (Random Access Memory): Ultra-fast but limited in size, ideal for immediate operations. Typically used for immediate transaction processing, caching frequently accessed account states or smart contract data, and temporary validation data during consensus processes.

• HDD (Hard Disk Drive): High capacity but slower to access, suitable for routine data storage. Used to store current blockchain state and long-term persistent storage of blockchain data that’s regularly accessed.

• Tape: Slow-access archival storage for historical data retention, such as storing historical blockchain snapshots or rarely accessed state data.

Each of these components communicate constantly with the CPU and network through Input/Output operations (I/O). When these data exchanges spike, the network experiences bottlenecks as it encounters delays in waiting for data to be read or written, reducing blockchain performance even where sufficient processing power is available.

InfiniSVM’s Solution: Dedicated Hardware & Direct Memory Access

The for InfiniSVM in solving the I/O bottleneck lies in our dedicated hardware along with Direct Memory Access:

Offloading via Remote Access Technology (RDMA and InfiniBand): InfiniSVM offloads storage and I/O processes from the primary CPU to specialized remote hardware. Leveraging RDMA, data is able to move directly between memory spaces of different nodes without involving the CPU. This dramatically reduces latency and bandwidth usage.

“Zero Copy” Direct Memory Access: Specialized Remote Network Interface Cards (RNICs) enable Direct Memory Access (DMA), facilitating a zero-copy data transfer process. By allowing data packets to bypass the CPU entirely, InfiniSVM reduces repetitive copying and buffering, streamlining the flow of information and significantly lowering latency.

Real-World Impact

Under heavy I/O loads, traditional blockchain networks exhibit clear performance regression due to these storage bottlenecks. Solana for example has experienced issues in the past where massive NFT launches and DeFi liquidation events have overwhelmed validator nodes’ storage and I/O capacity, causing transactions to stall, timeout, or fail entirely. Clearly this is a major problem if we maintain the goal of realising a CEX-like experience fully on-chain.

Infinite Scalability

InfiniSVM’s remote access design is able to effectively solve for these performance dips, maintaining peak throughput and scalability even under extra load.

Unlike conventional blockchains limited by storage and data transfer constraints, InfiniSVM’s advanced architecture ensures seamless scalability. Its specialized hardware approach, paired with RDMA technology, allows the network to sustain substantially higher transaction volumes without performance regressions or bottlenecks.

Hardware Acceleration at its Core

With InfiniSVM, we’ve taken a radically different approach in blockchain architecture by focusing on hardware solutions to solve many of the biggest challenges facing legacy networks. Testnet will be launching soon where we will showcase how Solayer’s integrated vertical stack of products, as well as third-party developers, are able to take full advantage of near infinite scalability.