Blockchain Offload Engine (BOE)
Accelerator
The Blockchain Offload Engine, also referred to as the BOE, can be described in simple terms as a PC Server card designed and built specifically for blockchain. The purpose of the BOE card is to accelerate transaction throughput on High Performance Blockchain by offloading and managing CPU resources inside the node servers.
The BOE card is installed in every HPB master node.
The BOE accelerator consists of multiple multi-purpose FPGA chips that are configured to exercise a particular task through VHDL language.
The ECDSA (Ecliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) module performs the high-speed signature verification required for the network to be able to process thousands of transactions per second.
In a speed test of two same spec servers processing 200,000 pieces of blockchain inspection data, the server with a BOE outperformed the one without by a factor of 5!
| Server Statistics | BOE installed | Without BOE |
|---|---|---|
CPU used | 5% | 76% |
Time to process | 8 seconds | 40 seconds |
On-board random number generator
The BOE also provides the HPB network with an extra layer of security because the BOE has an in-built Hardware Random Number Generator (HRNG). Random numbers are generated through FPGA chips and sensors that are configured to register tiny differences in voltage, down to a variance of 0.00001 volts.
According to Wikipedia, hardware random number generators...
“are a more secure alternative to Pseudo Random Number Generators (PSNGs) software programs. They produce sequences of numbers that are assumed not to be predictable, and therefore provide the greatest security when used to encrypt data.”
HPB's HRNG also adds extra functionality for developers. You can simply send a smart contract with a call for a seed to get a true random number and use cases are endless (eg. gambling, lotteries and chance-based events in games).
Other parts of the BOE are the MAC module that handles processing of data packets transferred from Ethernet cables and the TCP/IP Offload engine (TOE), which optimizes throughput for high-speed Ethernet systems.
More decentralized and energy efficient
Using the BOE accelerator has another significant advantage. Other projects very often use VPS (Virtual Private Server) services to host their nodes, which adds another layer of centralization. Sometimes too many nodes use the exact same VPS service such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or QuickNode.
If a VPS provider were to experience technical issues, then a high number of nodes might experience issues as well, making the network vulnerable. The VPS provider might also theoretically decide (or be forced by regulations) to stop providing services to nodes. Also, once the network reaches higher constant TPS, nodes will need to rent more processing power, resulting in much more energy consumption and much higher costs with a VPS provider.
All HPB node operators are obliged to use a BOE accelerator, meaning they can’t use a mainstream VPS service, which makes the network much more decentralized. Furthermore, HPB nodes are more energy efficient because the vast majority of the CPU load is handled by the BOE unit itself.
Successful node applicants are able to request a BOE card for free, which will be shipped to their global destination of choice.
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