Context-based consensus for appendable-block blockchains

Abstract

Blockchain technology has been applied to various applications (e.g., smart buildings and smart cities) that typically run in an environment of smart devices, known as Internet-of-Things (IoT). To support these applications, different blockchain architectures, data structures and consensus algorithms have been proposed, tailored to IoT. One such proposal, appendableblock blockchain, is a promising blockchain framework for use in IoT environments. It provides a scalable data structure that allows parallel insertions between independent nodes. However, it has some limitations, in particular related to the possible eclipse attack by malicious gateways and the lack of consensus for transactions insertion. To solve these issues, we propose a new consensus mechanism for appendable-block blockchains, called context-based consensus. Using context-based consensus, information can be inserted in parallel across devices (called context) while ensuring that light-weight consensus is performed to guarantee that a transaction is well-formed and it is placed in the correct order. We implemented context-based consensus and show that using multiple contexts reduces latency and increases the throughput of transaction insertions when compared to consensus without contexts or using single transaction consensus.

A Blockchain Auto-Scaling Node Organizing Design Model for the Internet of Things

“…the deeper the forest, the fewer the topmost CHs that verify transactions and blocks, the shorter the consensus delays using a consensus-agnostic consensus-accelerating protocol that we propose, and the more scalable the model becomes. This is the primary motivation for our multi-tiered clustered design concept versus other horizontally clustered flat and two-tiered designs where clustering serves as an essential element of the consensus algorithm akin to Federated Byzantine Agreement (FBA) [16], Quorum [17] and context-based consensus [18]. Since IoT nature dictates a need to dynamically add or remove IoTDs to/from the system, cluster size can become too large to be managed or too small to perform consensus.…”

Proposta de Gestão do Ciclo de Vida de Equipamentos de TI com Appendable-block Blockchain

“…Nesse artigo é discutida uma arquitetura de blockchain orientada à IoT chamada Speedychain, a qual apresenta um modelo que retira os dados armazenados nas transações do cabeçalho do bloco, possibilitando uma inserção mais rápida dos dados no bloco [Lunardi et al 2022]. Ou seja, a inclusão de novos blocos é separada da inclusão das transações, que são adicionadas em paralelo entre os nodos, e após a criação deles [Lunardi et al 2020]. É formada uma estrutura de "cadeia de cadeias" em que as transações são encadeadas a partir de um bloco na blockchain principal, formando cadeias auxiliares, como pode ser visto na Figura 2.…”