# Sharp Edges ## Early Epochs ### Protobuf Decoding Sometime around epoch 157 the `solana-validator` warehousing process changed from `bincode` to `protobuf`. Because this was not an on-chain feature activation and only an internal change, there is no discreet slot boundary where you can expect this transition to occur. It instead relies on when the warehousing process was upgraded to the version that switched to protocol buffers. The [OF1](/running-old-faithful/sourcing-data/of1.md) files have this transition at **epoch 157** but this can/will be different for other warehousing systems. ### No Transaction Metadata Some early epochs contain transactions without these transactions were warehoused by the validator without metadata and thus do not have any associated with them in the Old Faithful archives. You should not see this occur on epochs above 157. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.old-faithful.net/usage/validation/sharp-edges.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.