Storage Miner Actor
The Storage Miner Actor in Filecoin is a core component that represents a storage provider (miner) on the network. It is responsible for managing all aspects of a miner's storage operations, ensuring compliance with the network's rules, and coordinating various tasks related to storing and proving data. The Storage Miner Actor operates as a smart contract-like entity within the Filecoin blockchain.
It is an abstracted entity, a pure software component implemented in Lotus client (or equivalent).
Key Functions of the Storage Miner Actor
Manages Sector Lifecycle
The Storage Miner Actor handles the lifecycle of sectors, which are fixed-size units of storage (e.g., 32 GiB or 64 GiB) where data is stored. This includes tasks such as sealing data into sectors, committing them to the network, and managing sector upgrades or extensions.
Sealing and Proof Submission
Responsible for managing the sealing process, which involves encoding and encrypting data to create PoRep. This proof demonstrates that the miner has uniquely stored the client's data.
It also handles the periodic submission of PoSt to prove that the data continues to be stored over time. The Storage Miner Actor ensures these proofs are submitted regularly to avoid penalties.
Rewards and Penalties Management
The Storage Miner Actor calculates and distributes block rewards to miners who successfully generate new blocks and submit valid proofs.
It also imposes penalties for faults, such as missing PoSt submissions, failing to store data properly, or experiencing sector faults. These penalties can result in the loss of rewards or collateral.
Handles Sector Faults and Recoveries
The Storage Miner Actor monitors the state of sectors and detects faults (e.g., sectors becoming unavailable or losing data). The Storage Miner Actor manages sector faults, including reporting faults, recovering sectors, and re-sealing sectors if necessary.
Interacts with Other Actors
The Storage Miner Actor interacts with other actors on the Filecoin network, such as the Market Actor (for managing storage deals), the Power Actor (for managing mining power), and Account Actors (for managing balances and transactions).
Manages Collateral and Slashing
Maintains collateral that miners must provide to participate in the network. This collateral can be slashed (partially forfeited) if the miner fails to meet their storage commitments, such as by missing PoSt submissions or failing to provide required proofs.
Sector Upgrades and Deal Management
It supports sector upgrades and deal extensions, allowing miners to add new data or upgrade existing sectors for better efficiency or longer storage duration. It alsoensures that the deals associated with sectors are honored and managed properly.
Storage Power Accounting
Tracks the miner's storage power, which determines the miner's chances of winning block rewards. Storage power is proportional to the amount of verifiable storage the miner contributes to the network.
Technical Overview
Built-in Actor: The Storage Miner Actor is a built-in actor within the Filecoin protocol, implemented in Lotus and other Filecoin clients.
Smart Contract-Like Functionality: It functions like a smart contract, maintaining the state of the miner, handling transactions, and enforcing rules for storage and proof submission.
State Management: The Storage Miner Actor keeps track of all the miner's state information, including sector states, proofs, faults, rewards, penalties, and power.
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