[区块链]以太坊(ETH)挖矿算法Ethash源码分析

• https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum
• https://eth.wiki/en/fundamentals/mining

dataset(DAG) 生成流程

consensus/ethash/algorithm.go

blockNumber ---> seed ---> cache  ---> dataset

consensus/ethash/sealer.go

// 挖矿核心逻辑, 根据种子计算nonce
// mine is the actual proof-of-work miner that searches for a nonce starting from
// seed that results in correct final block difficulty.
func (ethash *Ethash) mine(block *types.Block, id int, seed uint64, abort chan struct{}, found chan *types.Block) {
	// Extract some data from the header
	var (
		header  = block.Header()  // 区块头
		hash    = ethash.SealHash(header).Bytes() // 获取区块的hash
		target  = new(big.Int).Div(two256, header.Difficulty) // target =  2^256 / difficulty
		number  = header.Number.Uint64() // 区块高度
		dataset = ethash.dataset(number, false) // 同步生成DAG数据(如果已经生成则直接读取)
	)
	// Start generating random nonces until we abort or find a good one
	var (
		attempts  = int64(0)
		nonce     = seed  // 随机数
		powBuffer = new(big.Int)
	)
	logger := ethash.config.Log.New("miner", id)
	logger.Trace("Started ethash search for new nonces", "seed", seed)
search:
	for {
		select {
		case <-abort: // 什么情况下会终止呢?  应该是接收到其他矿工
			// Mining terminated, update stats and abort
			logger.Trace("Ethash nonce search aborted", "attempts", nonce-seed)
			ethash.hashrate.Mark(attempts)
			break search

		default:
			// We don't have to update hash rate on every nonce, so update after after 2^X nonces
			attempts++
			if (attempts % (1 << 15)) == 0 {
				ethash.hashrate.Mark(attempts)
				attempts = 0
			}

			// ================== Ethash的核心逻辑 =================
			// Compute the PoW value of this nonce
			digest, result := hashimotoFull(dataset.dataset, hash, nonce)
			if powBuffer.SetBytes(result).Cmp(target) <= 0 { // target 由 difficulty 决定，
				// Correct nonce found, create a new header with it
				header = types.CopyHeader(header)
				header.Nonce = types.EncodeNonce(nonce)
				header.MixDigest = common.BytesToHash(digest)

				// Seal and return a block (if still needed)
				select {
				case found <- block.WithSeal(header):  // 通知找到了nonce
					logger.Trace("Ethash nonce found and reported", "attempts", nonce-seed, "nonce", nonce)
				case <-abort:
					logger.Trace("Ethash nonce found but discarded", "attempts", nonce-seed, "nonce", nonce)
				}
				break search
			}
			nonce++  // 继续尝试
		}
	}
	// Datasets are unmapped in a finalizer. Ensure that the dataset stays live
	// during sealing so it's not unmapped while being read.
	runtime.KeepAlive(dataset)
}

consensus/ethash/consensus.go
验证PoW的有效性

// verifySeal checks whether a block satisfies the PoW difficulty requirements,
// either using the usual ethash cache for it, or alternatively using a full DAG
// to make remote mining fast.
func (ethash *Ethash) verifySeal(chain consensus.ChainHeaderReader, header *types.Header, fulldag bool) error {
	// If we're running a fake PoW, accept any seal as valid
	if ethash.config.PowMode == ModeFake || ethash.config.PowMode == ModeFullFake {
		time.Sleep(ethash.fakeDelay)
		if ethash.fakeFail == header.Number.Uint64() {
			return errInvalidPoW
		}
		return nil
	}
	// If we're running a shared PoW, delegate verification to it
	if ethash.shared != nil {
		return ethash.shared.verifySeal(chain, header, fulldag)
	}
	// Ensure that we have a valid difficulty for the block
	if header.Difficulty.Sign() <= 0 {
		return errInvalidDifficulty
	}
	// Recompute the digest and PoW values
	number := header.Number.Uint64()

	var (
		digest []byte
		result []byte
	)

	// 全节点
	// If fast-but-heavy PoW verification was requested, use an ethash dataset
	if fulldag {
		dataset := ethash.dataset(number, true)
		if dataset.generated() {
			digest, result = hashimotoFull(dataset.dataset, ethash.SealHash(header).Bytes(), header.Nonce.Uint64())

			// Datasets are unmapped in a finalizer. Ensure that the dataset stays alive
			// until after the call to hashimotoFull so it's not unmapped while being used.
			runtime.KeepAlive(dataset)
		} else {
			// Dataset not yet generated, don't hang, use a cache instead
			fulldag = false
		}
	}

	// 轻节点
	// If slow-but-light PoW verification was requested (or DAG not yet ready), use an ethash cache
	if !fulldag {
		cache := ethash.cache(number) // 使用dag缓存代替DAG文件

		size := datasetSize(number)
		if ethash.config.PowMode == ModeTest {
			size = 32 * 1024
		}
		// 进行一次hashmoto运算
		digest, result = hashimotoLight(size, cache.cache, ethash.SealHash(header).Bytes(), header.Nonce.Uint64())

		// Caches are unmapped in a finalizer. Ensure that the cache stays alive
		// until after the call to hashimotoLight so it's not unmapped while being used.
		runtime.KeepAlive(cache)
	}

	// 判断mixHash是否一致
	// Verify the calculated values against the ones provided in the header
	if !bytes.Equal(header.MixDigest[:], digest) {
		return errInvalidMixDigest
	}

	// result是否小于 target
	target := new(big.Int).Div(two256, header.Difficulty)
	if new(big.Int).SetBytes(result).Cmp(target) > 0 {
		return errInvalidPoW
	}
	return nil
}