Reliability at Walrus's Large Scale: Inside the Erasure RedStuff Encryption Mechanism

#Walrus offers a new approach to decentralized blob storage on Sui, focusing on (high availability) and controlled storage costs. The core of this system is RedStuff – a two-dimensional (2D) erasure coding mechanism that allows data to be accessible and recoverable even when multiple nodes in the network encounter failures. Unlike traditional data replication models that are resource-intensive, RedStuff is designed to achieve high data durability with low overhead, suitable for large-scale network data storage. Why Is Reliability a Critical Factor in Walrus? In decentralized networks, node churn (nodes continuously join and leave the network) is normal. Nodes can go offline due to hardware failures, maintenance, or simply stop operating. Using full replication (copy all data to multiple nodes), the system would: Consume multiple times the storage capacityLess cost-effectiveNot suitable for large data (AI, media, dataset) @WalrusProtocol addresses this by using erasure coding – only storing necessary data fragments (sliver), while still ensuring full data recovery when needed. How Does Basic Erasure Coding Work? Erasure coding splits the original data into many small fragments, then adds redundancy (redundancy). Collecting a sufficient subset of these fragments allows full recovery of the original data. Compared to simple copying: Uses less storage spaceMore fault-tolerantHowever, traditional 1D erasure coding (e.g., Reed–Solomon) often requires high bandwidth during recovery, sometimes nearly downloading the entire file. This is where RedStuff 2D makes a difference. RedStuff: The Distinctive Feature of 2D Coding (2D) RedStuff arranges data into a two-dimensional matrix of rows and columns. Primary encoding (Primary Encoding) is applied along columnsSecondary encoding (Secondary Encoding) is applied along rows Resulting in: Primary slivers (mảnh sơ cấp)Secondary slivers (mảnh thứ cấp) Each node in the network stores a unique pair of slivers, consisting of one primary and one secondary fragment. This 2D approach helps data recovery: FasterLess bandwidth-intensiveNo need to re-download the entire blob Blob Encoding Process in RedStuff The process of transforming a data blob into storage fragments in Walrus involves the following steps: Step 1: Matrix Preparation The original data blob is divided into symbols and arranged into a matrix with multiple rows and columns. Step 2: Primary Encoding Each column in the matrix is encoded independently, creating primary slivers. Step 3: Creating Secondary Slivers Next, each row of the intermediate matrix is encoded to generate secondary slivers. Step 4: Pairing Slivers Each primary sliver is paired with a unique secondary sliver to form a storage pair. Step 5: Distribution to Nodes Each active committee node receives and stores one such pair. Step 6: Cryptographic Commitments The system creates cryptographic commitments for each sliver and the entire blob, enabling on-chain verification. Step 7: Storage and Confirmation 2/3 of nodes must confirm to successfully write dataAfter quorum is reached, the blob is considered securely stored. Fault Tolerance and Recovery Mechanism Walrus uses a quorum-based mechanism: Write (Write): requires ≥ 2/3 nodesRead (Read): requires ≥ 1/3 nodes This means: Data remains accessible even when most nodes are offlineSuitable for network partition or localized failures More importantly, when a node loses data: That node only needs to reload a single sliverRecovery bandwidth is proportional to sliver size, not the entire blob. Overhead Comparison Between Storage Models

RedStuff achieves an optimal balance between cost and data durability. Implications for the Walrus Ecosystem Thanks to high reliability and low overhead, Walrus is especially suitable for: AI & Machine Learning datasetsMedia, videos, digital content with large sizesOn-chain/off-chain data requiring long-term access Developers can build Sui-based applications with programmable data, independent of centralized infrastructure. WAL token plays a role in: Paying for storage costsReward distribution to nodes and stakersHelping maintain stable storage costs relative to fiat value in the long term Risks and Limitations to Consider High node churn can trigger frequent self-healing mechanisms, increasing short-term bandwidthRequirements for a sufficiently large committee quorum to ensure safetyRisks of incentives if nodes operate inefficiently, although penalty and burn mechanisms are designed to mitigate this. Conclusion RedStuff is not just a technical innovation but a foundational platform that enables Walrus to expand decentralized storage sustainably. By combining 2D erasure coding, smart quorum, and on-chain incentives, Walrus offers: High reliabilityReasonable costsLightweight and fast recovery This key factor helps WAL become a pillar of data infrastructure within the Sui ecosystem. $WAL {spot}(WALUSDT)