Built for settings where disruptions, delays, or supply chain issues happen every day, the Walrus Architecture is being delivered through our Asynchronous Challenge Protocol (ACP). This unique protocol will provide an entirely new way to verify whether or no data can be accessed from the systems on which it resides.
Core Problem in Decentralized Storage
Decentralized storage technologies typically utilize synchronous challenge mechanisms. These technologies require an attempted proof that nodes store the required data within defined timeframes. Although this works well theoretically, in practice it will often lead to failure.
Walrus Architectural Shift
Walrus takes a structural approach to storage rather than a timing one. Instead of requesting responses from all of the nodes at once, Walrus is focused on whether there are enough correct data fragments existing throughout the network. This change eliminates the use of time for security and substitutes it with cryptographic and structural guarantees instead.
Asynchronous Challenge Protocol Explained
Walrus introduced an asynchronous challenge protocol where challenges are issued and storage nodes will provide their responses independently and at their own time. There must be a sufficient collection of valid proofs for the network to accommodate data verification. There is no penalty for late but correct responses, and there is no advantage for faster but still valid responses.
Why Asynchrony Matters
The fact that real networks cannot be predicted accurately and can thus deliver messages late, drop connections, or experience other types of high-volume traffic cannot be avoided. Walrus acknowledges the reality of a currently operating network by developing a secure protocol where secure delivery of we can be assured regardless of whether communication was received out of sequence or was delayed. This will assure the security guarantees are applicable under actual network environments as opposed to only tested on an idealized basis.
Security Without Heavy Overhead
Traditional storage methods will typically use heavy amounts of replication or continual validation in order to make up for the lack of verification. Walrus is able to avoid this by allowing the use of strong verification through an asynchronous challenge protocol which does not require the network to be in constant synchronization or have excessive duplication of storage. Security is built into the design instead of being achieved through brute force.
Impact on Network Reliability
As a result of its non-dependence on full participation, the protocol maintains operation through periods of limited failure. The protocol also prevents malicious nodes from taking advantage of time gaps; and as such has improved network stability, fairness and resiliency by increasing node reliability.
A New Standard for Decentralized Storage
Not only does Walrus optimize old concepts, it also establishes a new standard for the way that decentralized storage systems reason about trust and availability. By decoupling correctness from timing, Walrus demonstrates that it is possible to build an efficient and realistic decentralized storage system.
The Walrus Asynchronous Challenge Protocol (WACP) is an innovative milestone for the development of decentralised storage systems . WACP does not require confirmation through synchronised verification and instead focuses on network behaviour observed in practice , making it possible for the future deployment of extensive , secure and fully decentralised storage systems .