EASL: Enhanced append-only skip list index for agile block data retrieval on blockchain

Abstract

The weakness of blockchain is widely recognised as the linear, temporal cost required for retrieving data due to the sequential structure of data blocks. To address this, conventional approaches have relied on database indexing techniques applied to each individual replica copy of a blockchain. However, this only partially addresses the problem, because if the index is not distributed it is not available for devices in the blockchain network. If an index is to be incorporated and distributed within blockchain, the unique attribute of immutability necessitates a more innovative approach. To that end, we propose an Enhanced Append-only Skip List (EASL). This specialised indexing technique utilises binary search with skip lists in blockchain, resulting in a sublinear cost for data retrieval. The EASL indexing technique is maintained by each newly appended blockchain block and offers enhanced readability and robustness using an explicitly recorded index structure. Our proposed technique is 42% more efficient in computing and 60% more efficient in storage consumption than its predecessor, the Deterministic Append-only Skip List (DASL) indexing technique. This is achieved through agile data retrieval, resulting in energy cost savings from less computational effort to maintain the index, and less network bandwidth to retrieve blockchain data. The code for the proposed technique is publicly available on GitHub {https://github.com/jarednewell/EASL/}, to expedite future research and encourage the practical application of this effectual data index.