core, miner, trie: add metrics tracking state trie depth (#32388)

Co-authored-by: shantichanal <158101918+shantichanal@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Gary Rong <garyrong0905@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Guillaume Ballet <3272758+gballet@users.noreply.github.com>

core/blockchain.go

@@ -2011,7 +2011,10 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) processBlock(parentRoot common.Hash, block *types.Block, s
 	// If we are past Byzantium, enable prefetching to pull in trie node paths
 	// while processing transactions. Before Byzantium the prefetcher is mostly
 	// useless due to the intermediate root hashing after each transaction.
-	var witness *stateless.Witness
+	var (
+		witness      *stateless.Witness
+		witnessStats *stateless.WitnessStats
+	)
 	if bc.chainConfig.IsByzantium(block.Number()) {
 		// Generate witnesses either if we're self-testing, or if it's the
 		// only block being inserted. A bit crude, but witnesses are huge,
@@ -2021,8 +2024,11 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) processBlock(parentRoot common.Hash, block *types.Block, s
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
+			if bc.cfg.VmConfig.EnableWitnessStats {
+				witnessStats = stateless.NewWitnessStats()
+			}
 		}
-		statedb.StartPrefetcher("chain", witness)
+		statedb.StartPrefetcher("chain", witness, witnessStats)
 		defer statedb.StopPrefetcher()
 	}
 
@@ -2083,6 +2089,7 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) processBlock(parentRoot common.Hash, block *types.Block, s
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("stateless self-validation receipt root mismatch (cross: %x local: %x)", crossReceiptRoot, block.ReceiptHash())
 		}
 	}
+
 	xvtime := time.Since(xvstart)
 	proctime := time.Since(startTime) // processing + validation + cross validation
 
@@ -2118,6 +2125,11 @@ func (bc *BlockChain) processBlock(parentRoot common.Hash, block *types.Block, s
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	// Report the collected witness statistics
+	if witnessStats != nil {
+		witnessStats.ReportMetrics()
+	}
+
 	// Update the metrics touched during block commit
 	accountCommitTimer.Update(statedb.AccountCommits)   // Account commits are complete, we can mark them
 	storageCommitTimer.Update(statedb.StorageCommits)   // Storage commits are complete, we can mark them

core/state/database.go

@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ type Trie interface {
 
 	// Witness returns a set containing all trie nodes that have been accessed.
 	// The returned map could be nil if the witness is empty.
-	Witness() map[string]struct{}
+	Witness() map[string][]byte
 
 	// NodeIterator returns an iterator that returns nodes of the trie. Iteration
 	// starts at the key after the given start key. And error will be returned

core/state/statedb.go

@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ type StateDB struct {
 	journal *journal
 
 	// State witness if cross validation is needed
-	witness *stateless.Witness
+	witness      *stateless.Witness
+	witnessStats *stateless.WitnessStats
 
 	// Measurements gathered during execution for debugging purposes
 	AccountReads    time.Duration
@@ -191,12 +192,13 @@ func NewWithReader(root common.Hash, db Database, reader Reader) (*StateDB, erro
 // StartPrefetcher initializes a new trie prefetcher to pull in nodes from the
 // state trie concurrently while the state is mutated so that when we reach the
 // commit phase, most of the needed data is already hot.
-func (s *StateDB) StartPrefetcher(namespace string, witness *stateless.Witness) {
+func (s *StateDB) StartPrefetcher(namespace string, witness *stateless.Witness, witnessStats *stateless.WitnessStats) {
 	// Terminate any previously running prefetcher
 	s.StopPrefetcher()
 
 	// Enable witness collection if requested
 	s.witness = witness
+	s.witnessStats = witnessStats
 
 	// With the switch to the Proof-of-Stake consensus algorithm, block production
 	// rewards are now handled at the consensus layer. Consequently, a block may
@@ -858,9 +860,17 @@ func (s *StateDB) IntermediateRoot(deleteEmptyObjects bool) common.Hash {
 				continue
 			}
 			if trie := obj.getPrefetchedTrie(); trie != nil {
-				s.witness.AddState(trie.Witness())
+				witness := trie.Witness()
+				s.witness.AddState(witness)
+				if s.witnessStats != nil {
+					s.witnessStats.Add(witness, obj.addrHash)
+				}
 			} else if obj.trie != nil {
-				s.witness.AddState(obj.trie.Witness())
+				witness := obj.trie.Witness()
+				s.witness.AddState(witness)
+				if s.witnessStats != nil {
+					s.witnessStats.Add(witness, obj.addrHash)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		// Pull in only-read and non-destructed trie witnesses
@@ -874,9 +884,17 @@ func (s *StateDB) IntermediateRoot(deleteEmptyObjects bool) common.Hash {
 				continue
 			}
 			if trie := obj.getPrefetchedTrie(); trie != nil {
-				s.witness.AddState(trie.Witness())
+				witness := trie.Witness()
+				s.witness.AddState(witness)
+				if s.witnessStats != nil {
+					s.witnessStats.Add(witness, obj.addrHash)
+				}
 			} else if obj.trie != nil {
-				s.witness.AddState(obj.trie.Witness())
+				witness := obj.trie.Witness()
+				s.witness.AddState(witness)
+				if s.witnessStats != nil {
+					s.witnessStats.Add(witness, obj.addrHash)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -942,7 +960,11 @@ func (s *StateDB) IntermediateRoot(deleteEmptyObjects bool) common.Hash {
 
 	// If witness building is enabled, gather the account trie witness
 	if s.witness != nil {
-		s.witness.AddState(s.trie.Witness())
+		witness := s.trie.Witness()
+		s.witness.AddState(witness)
+		if s.witnessStats != nil {
+			s.witnessStats.Add(witness, common.Hash{})
+		}
 	}
 	return hash
 }

core/stateless/stats.go

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+// Copyright 2025 The go-ethereum Authors
+// This file is part of the go-ethereum library.
+//
+// The go-ethereum library is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// The go-ethereum library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+// GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with the go-ethereum library. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package stateless
+
+import (
+	"maps"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/metrics"
+)
+
+var (
+	accountTrieDepthAvg = metrics.NewRegisteredGauge("witness/trie/account/depth/avg", nil)
+	accountTrieDepthMin = metrics.NewRegisteredGauge("witness/trie/account/depth/min", nil)
+	accountTrieDepthMax = metrics.NewRegisteredGauge("witness/trie/account/depth/max", nil)
+
+	storageTrieDepthAvg = metrics.NewRegisteredGauge("witness/trie/storage/depth/avg", nil)
+	storageTrieDepthMin = metrics.NewRegisteredGauge("witness/trie/storage/depth/min", nil)
+	storageTrieDepthMax = metrics.NewRegisteredGauge("witness/trie/storage/depth/max", nil)
+)
+
+// depthStats tracks min/avg/max statistics for trie access depths.
+type depthStats struct {
+	totalDepth int64
+	samples    int64
+	minDepth   int64
+	maxDepth   int64
+}
+
+// newDepthStats creates a new depthStats with default values.
+func newDepthStats() *depthStats {
+	return &depthStats{minDepth: -1}
+}
+
+// add records a new depth sample.
+func (d *depthStats) add(n int64) {
+	if n < 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	d.totalDepth += n
+	d.samples++
+
+	if d.minDepth == -1 || n < d.minDepth {
+		d.minDepth = n
+	}
+	if n > d.maxDepth {
+		d.maxDepth = n
+	}
+}
+
+// report uploads the collected statistics into the provided gauges.
+func (d *depthStats) report(maxGauge, minGauge, avgGauge *metrics.Gauge) {
+	if d.samples == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	maxGauge.Update(d.maxDepth)
+	minGauge.Update(d.minDepth)
+	avgGauge.Update(d.totalDepth / d.samples)
+}
+
+// WitnessStats aggregates statistics for account and storage trie accesses.
+type WitnessStats struct {
+	accountTrie *depthStats
+	storageTrie *depthStats
+}
+
+// NewWitnessStats creates a new WitnessStats collector.
+func NewWitnessStats() *WitnessStats {
+	return &WitnessStats{
+		accountTrie: newDepthStats(),
+		storageTrie: newDepthStats(),
+	}
+}
+
+// Add records trie access depths from the given node paths.
+// If `owner` is the zero hash, accesses are attributed to the account trie;
+// otherwise, they are attributed to the storage trie of that account.
+func (s *WitnessStats) Add(nodes map[string][]byte, owner common.Hash) {
+	if owner == (common.Hash{}) {
+		for path := range maps.Keys(nodes) {
+			s.accountTrie.add(int64(len(path)))
+		}
+	} else {
+		for path := range maps.Keys(nodes) {
+			s.storageTrie.add(int64(len(path)))
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// ReportMetrics reports the collected statistics to the global metrics registry.
+func (s *WitnessStats) ReportMetrics() {
+	s.accountTrie.report(accountTrieDepthMax, accountTrieDepthMin, accountTrieDepthAvg)
+	s.storageTrie.report(storageTrieDepthMax, storageTrieDepthMin, storageTrieDepthAvg)
+}

core/stateless/witness.go

@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func NewWitness(context *types.Header, chain HeaderReader) (*Witness, error) {
 		}
 		headers = append(headers, parent)
 	}
-	// Create the wtness with a reconstructed gutted out block
+	// Create the witness with a reconstructed gutted out block
 	return &Witness{
 		context: context,
 		Headers: headers,
@@ -88,14 +88,16 @@ func (w *Witness) AddCode(code []byte) {
 }
 
 // AddState inserts a batch of MPT trie nodes into the witness.
-func (w *Witness) AddState(nodes map[string]struct{}) {
+func (w *Witness) AddState(nodes map[string][]byte) {
 	if len(nodes) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
 	w.lock.Lock()
 	defer w.lock.Unlock()
 
-	maps.Copy(w.State, nodes)
+	for _, value := range nodes {
+		w.State[string(value)] = struct{}{}
+	}
 }
 
 // Copy deep-copies the witness object.  Witness.Block isn't deep-copied as it

core/vm/interpreter.go

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	ExtraEips               []int // Additional EIPS that are to be enabled
 
 	StatelessSelfValidation bool // Generate execution witnesses and self-check against them (testing purpose)
+	EnableWitnessStats      bool // Whether trie access statistics collection is enabled
 }
 
 // ScopeContext contains the things that are per-call, such as stack and memory,

miner/worker.go

@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ func (miner *Miner) makeEnv(parent *types.Header, header *types.Header, coinbase
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		state.StartPrefetcher("miner", bundle)
+		state.StartPrefetcher("miner", bundle, nil)
 	}
 	// Note the passed coinbase may be different with header.Coinbase.
 	return &environment{

trie/secure_trie.go

@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ func (t *StateTrie) GetKey(shaKey []byte) []byte {
 }
 
 // Witness returns a set containing all trie nodes that have been accessed.
-func (t *StateTrie) Witness() map[string]struct{} {
+func (t *StateTrie) Witness() map[string][]byte {
 	return t.trie.Witness()
 }
 

trie/tracer.go

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package trie
 
 import (
 	"maps"
-	"slices"
 	"sync"
 )
 
@@ -147,11 +146,11 @@ func (t *prevalueTracer) hasList(list [][]byte) []bool {
 }
 
 // values returns a list of values of the cached trie nodes.
-func (t *prevalueTracer) values() [][]byte {
+func (t *prevalueTracer) values() map[string][]byte {
 	t.lock.RLock()
 	defer t.lock.RUnlock()
 
-	return slices.Collect(maps.Values(t.data))
+	return maps.Clone(t.data)
 }
 
 // reset resets the cached content in the prevalueTracer.

trie/transition.go

@@ -222,6 +222,6 @@ func (t *TransitionTrie) UpdateContractCode(addr common.Address, codeHash common
 }
 
 // Witness returns a set containing all trie nodes that have been accessed.
-func (t *TransitionTrie) Witness() map[string]struct{} {
+func (t *TransitionTrie) Witness() map[string][]byte {
 	panic("not implemented")
 }

trie/trie.go

@@ -752,16 +752,8 @@ func (t *Trie) hashRoot() []byte {
 }
 
 // Witness returns a set containing all trie nodes that have been accessed.
-func (t *Trie) Witness() map[string]struct{} {
+func (t *Trie) Witness() map[string][]byte {
-	values := t.prevalueTracer.values()
+	return t.prevalueTracer.values()
-	if len(values) == 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	witness := make(map[string]struct{}, len(values))
-	for _, val := range values {
-		witness[string(val)] = struct{}{}
-	}
-	return witness
 }
 
 // Reset drops the referenced root node and cleans all internal state.

trie/verkle.go

@@ -452,6 +452,6 @@ func (t *VerkleTrie) nodeResolver(path []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 // Witness returns a set containing all trie nodes that have been accessed.
-func (t *VerkleTrie) Witness() map[string]struct{} {
+func (t *VerkleTrie) Witness() map[string][]byte {
 	panic("not implemented")
 }