We're curious to know what factors go into block times in a private network with a limited number of validators. Is this fixed or can it be parameterized in any way? How is it related to block times in the public net?
1 Answer
The block times in a private network and the public network is determined by the block difficulty adjustment algorithm. This algorithm is fixed in code, and is examined in more detail in How does the Ethereum Homestead difficulty adjustment algorithm work?
You can find the source code that represents this algorithm in block_validator.go, lines 265-312. You will have to modify this algorithm/code to change the block target time.
You can set the genesis block difficulty in your private network using the init parameter, but the difficulty will eventually be adjusted according to the algorithm described above.
answered Jul 17, 2016 at 14:22
tsarbucks.eth employeeofthedaytsarbucks.eth employeeoftheday
39.9k13 gold badges122 silver badges192 bronze badges