ZkSync Server Outage: A Deep Dive into the Cause and Solution

04/02/2023 00:26 • Metaverse & Beyond • 63 views

On April 2, according to official news, the zkSync team announced the reason for the outage on Twitter. Blocking stopped due to a failure in the block queue database. However, the server API was not affected. Transactions continue to be added to the memory pool, and the query service is normal. Although all components have comprehensive monitoring, logging, and alerts, no alerts were triggered due to the API’s normal operation. The entire team was offline when the accident occurred. The fix was implemented in 5 minutes. To address similar issues, zkSync assigns a special role to database monitoring agents, enabling them to connect to the database and continuously collect metrics. At the same time, the team introduced an alert mechanism that alerts when the database monitoring agent fails or cannot establish a connection to the database. In addition, if the situation escalates significantly, the team on standby will be notified immediately through multiple channels. But the only long-term solution is decentralization.

ZkSync: Database failures lead to downtime, and decentralization is the only long-term solution

ZkSync, a popular layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum, experienced an outage on April 2, 2021, due to a failure in the block queue database. This article will delve into the details of the outage, its implications, and the measures taken by the zkSync team to prevent similar incidents in the future.

What Happened During the Outage?

According to official news, the zkSync team discovered the issue when the block queue stopped processing transactions. The server API, however, remained unaffected, and transactions continued to be added to the memory pool. Despite the comprehensive monitoring, logging, and alerts systems in place, no alerts were triggered initially because the API was operating normally.
The entire team was offline when the incident occurred, but they quickly convened online and identified the root cause of the issue. The fix was implemented in just five minutes, and the service was brought back online.

What Caused the Outage?

The outage was caused by a failure in the block queue database. This failure prevented transactions from being processed and resulted in the block queue becoming stuck. Although the API was handling transactions correctly, the block queue was unable to keep up, leading to the outage.

How Has zkSync Addressed the Issue?

To prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, zkSync has taken several measures. First, they have assigned a special role to database monitoring agents that enables them to connect to the database and collect metrics continuously. This helps identify any issues with the database, and the team can take corrective action before they escalate.
Second, the team has introduced an alert mechanism that sends notifications when database monitoring agents fail or cannot establish a connection to the database. This ensures that the team is alerted quickly and can take immediate action if needed.
Finally, the team has emphasized the importance of decentralization as the only long-term solution to such issues. The distributed nature of blockchain-based systems makes it challenging to centralize control while maintaining system efficiency. zkSync believes that decentralization is essential to address similar issues.

Conclusion

The zkSync team responded promptly and effectively to the recent outage, quickly identifying the cause and implementing a swift fix. However, they recognize that similar incidents could happen in the future and have taken measures to prevent or address them effectively. Decentralization, however, remains the only long-term solution to ensure that blockchain-based systems remain resilient and available.

FAQs

Q1. What is zkSync?
zkSync is a layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum that offers high speed and low fees for transactions.
Q2. What is a block queue database?
A block queue database is a data structure used in blockchain systems to store blocks until they are processed.
Q3. Why is decentralization important for blockchain-based systems?
Decentralization is crucial for blockchain-based systems because it ensures that no single entity or group controls the network, making it more resilient and less susceptible to attacks.

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