Block Storage

Overview

Block storage records the data a node needs to maintain and serve blockchain history. Implementations may separate immutable block files, state databases, receipts, indexes, snapshots, and metadata, using checksums and mappings from height or hash to stored content.

Full, pruned, and archive nodes retain different amounts of historical information. Corruption, incomplete writes, disk exhaustion, or software bugs can leave a node unable to validate, reorganize, or answer old queries even when its current head appears healthy. Operators should monitor disk growth, input and output latency, database integrity, pruning boundaries, backups, and restore procedures. Payment services requiring historical audits need a source that retains the necessary bodies and receipts. Redundant RPC providers do not help if all use the same incomplete storage mode. Teams should document which component supplies the data and how missing, malformed, or version-unknown records are handled. Operational use of Block Storage depends on node mode and data retention. Pruned, archive, light, and indexing services may expose different historical fields or proofs.

Test fixtures for Block Storage should cover normal blocks, boundary sizes, protocol upgrades, and invalid encodings. Parsing should be version-aware and fail closed when an unknown format affects validation, accounting, or settlement decisions. Field names can appear similar across networks while using different byte order, commitment schemes, size limits, activation heights, or relationships to the block header and body. Block Storage must be interpreted under the exact chain rules and software version that define its encoding and validation. Implementation note: Block storage design determines which history a node can validate and serve, making retention and integrity operational requirements.