Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] BIP 158 Flexibility and Filter Size

From: Pieter Wuille <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 May 2018 20:06:10 -0700

On Fri, May 18, 2018, 19:57 Olaoluwa Osuntokun via bitcoin-dev <
[email-masked]> wrote:

> Greg wrote:
> > What about also making input prevouts filter based on the scriptpubkey
> being
> > _spent_?  Layering wise in the processing it's a bit ugly, but if you
> > validated the block you have the data needed.
>
> AFAICT, this would mean that in order for a new node to catch up the filter
> index (index all historical blocks), they'd either need to: build up a
> utxo-set in memory during indexing, or would require a txindex in order to
> look up the prev out's script. The first option increases the memory load
> during indexing, and the second requires nodes to have a transaction index
> (and would also add considerable I/O load). When proceeding from tip, this
> doesn't add any additional load assuming that your synchronously index the
> block as you validate it, otherwise the utxo set will already have been
> updated (the spent scripts removed).
>

I was wondering about that too, but it turns out that isn't necessary. At
least in Bitcoin Core, all the data needed for such a filter is in the
block + undo files (the latter contain the scriptPubKeys of the outputs
being spent).

I have a script running to compare the filter sizes assuming the regular
> filter switches to include the prev out's script rather than the prev
> outpoint itself. The script hasn't yet finished (due to the increased I/O
> load to look up the scripts when indexing), but I'll report back once it's
> finished.
>

That's very helpful, thank you.

Cheers,

-- 
Pieter