Published on: 2018-06-23T02:06:15+00:00
The Lightning Network, a technology designed to enhance the scalability of blockchain networks, faces a perceived weakness in its architecture due to the absence of routing tables. This limitation complicates the process of choosing the next recipient efficiently. However, the current specification addresses this issue by having each participant share their view of the entire graph with others. Using their own local perspective, the payer can create a route from themselves to the payee without requiring intermediate nodes to make decisions or maintain routing tables. This eliminates guesswork and prevents the possibility of faking a channel without committing funds. Consequently, spam is deterred. To address the mesh network routing problem, similar to IP, self-addressing packets may offer a solution. When a node receives a packet not addressed to it, it consults its routing table for the destination address. If the address does not exist, the node passes the packet on to another peer. Similarly, a "payment packet" could include a forwarding fee and the payment itself. Upon receiving the packet, a node deducts a portion of the fee for itself and tries forwarding it to one of its other peers, thereby revealing the payment's destination. However, this direct solution employed by the Lightning Network is expensive as each node must maintain a view of the entire network, making it challenging for low-end devices to handle local network views. Developers of Eclair may provide insights on whether the network map has become too large for mobile devices.Considering the use of SDN technologies, such as OpenFlow, there is potential for creating network configurations managed at the L7 OSI application layer. This allows for network packet routing and transparent transformation between sender and receiver pairs. SDN technologies have been utilized in building SDN-enabled Blockchain modeling environments for research and development projects conducted by students. A query was raised on the Lightning-dev mailing list regarding the lack of routing tables in the Lightning Network's architecture, questioning its weakness. The concern was that without routing tables, it would be difficult to determine the most efficient subsequent path for message transmission. The questioner pondered whether a solution to the mesh network routing problem had been discovered.The absence of routing tables in the Lightning Network's architecture raises doubts about the sender's ability to select the most efficient path to reach the intended recipient. Without these tables, information regarding the next receiver's connection to the ultimate receiver or their nearby connections remains unknown, potentially resulting in inefficient paths. Unfortunately, a solution to this mesh network routing problem has yet to be found. This discussion prompts inquiry into who controls the internet's routing table and whether it operates as a mesh network.Despite the challenges posed by the lack of routing tables, many still hold hope for the success of the Lightning Network in improving blockchain scalability.
Updated on: 2023-07-31T20:18:31.867859+00:00