Data slices

Diagram of data slices and 512 KB archive blocks in Novij Protocol

Context and challenges

  • Exponential data growth. Historical records and logs quickly overload infrastructure, slow down analytics, and increase the total cost of ownership.
  • Historical queries are slow. Reports often require scanning gigabytes of events, which is unsuitable for real-time decisions.
  • Economics must be clear. Predictable tariffs are essential for planning storage and processing budgets.

Why slices matter

  • Ready-made answers. A “slice” captures balances, aggregates, and indexes at the moment of block closure. Analytics builds on slices rather than replaying the full history.
  • Separation of hot and cold data. Operational data remains in the database, while the archive moves to optimized blocks, reducing ownership costs.
  • Transparent rules. Fixed tariffs and automated commission distribution remove guesswork.

Implementation inside Novij Protocol

  • Operational database. Stores current records and compact slices for low-latency queries.
  • 512 KB archive blocks. History is packaged, compressed (Brotli/Gzip), and published on-chain. A block closes only when fully filled, preventing “empty” fees.
  • Linked chain. Each block references the previous one, so integrity checks stay simple and deterministic.
  • Minimal pointers. Only lightweight references remain in the operational database, accelerating targeted lookups.

Tariffs in the new protocol token (NPT)

  • Block read: 0.000010 NPT
  • Block write: 0.000100 NPT
  • Block storage: 0.000010 NPT per day

Tariffs are unified across the Novij Protocol network and do not depend on a specific project.

Commission distribution and bonuses

Base formula: 40% — Development Fund; 20% — storage server that served the data; 10% — relay server that handled the request; 30% — partners and module developers.

Extra 4% participation bonus. 10% of the Development Fund share (equal to 4% of all commissions in a block or package) is allocated among nodes that processed operations, proportionally to the number of serviced requests.

Example calculation

Total commissions for the block: 10.000000 NPT → bonus pool 0.400000 NPT (4%).
Node A processed 100 requests, Node B — 25, Node C — 5. Total 130 operations.
Shares: A — 100/130, B — 25/130, C — 5/130.
Payouts (rounded to 0.000001 NPT): A — 0.307692 NPT, B — 0.076923 NPT, C — 0.015384 NPT.
The rounding remainder of 0.000001 NPT stays in the Development Fund.

What counts as participation

  • Requests processed by a relay server (number of operations).
  • Data deliveries performed by a storage server (number of operations).

Ecosystem effects

  • For businesses. Predictable costs, fast reporting, and lower TCO thanks to slices.
  • For infrastructure. Clear incentives: the more a node contributes, the larger its share of commissions and bonuses.
  • For the community. Transparent rules and scalable growth without sacrificing verifiability.

Practical scenarios

  • Balance report for a period. Built from slices instead of the full history, which shortens response times and lowers query costs.
  • Historical storage. Archive blocks stay available in the network without extra fees beyond the defined tariff, and reads are charged at current NPT rates.