Decentralized immutable storage blockchain configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10554746-B2
Application number	US-201615350793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Nov 14, 2016
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A virtual blockchain configuration may provide a distributed structure that uses a distributed hash configuration to reduce the complexity of blockchain transactions. One example method of operation may comprise one or more of storing a subset of blockchain data in a network device, accessing via the network device a virtual copy of a blockchain, accessing a blockchain block via the virtual copy of the blockchain, and writing blockchain transactions to the blockchain block via the network device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
storing, via a distributed hash table in a network, a blockchain block, the distributed hash table storing blockchain data using a virtual copy of a blockchain stored on a network node in the network,
wherein the network node stores a record of a longest blockchain of the network node to trigger a garbage collection operation in the distributed hash table in accordance with a garbage collection policy of the distributed hash table, and
wherein the virtual copy of the blockchain includes only header information identifying the blockchain data, and wherein the virtual copy of the blockchain is stored in the distributed hash table for access via a network device in the network, the network device storing a subset of the blockchain data and being assigned to a unique subset of an individual key space of the distributed hash table;
identifying, via the distributed hash table, that the network device has failed or is inaccessible; and
reassigning, via the distributed hash table, the unique subset of the individual key space previously assigned to the failed or inaccessible network devices to another network device in the network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of the blockchain data comprises header information corresponding to blocks of the blockchain.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of network devices each assigned to a unique subset of an individual key space of the distributed hash table.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
polling, via the network device, the distributed hash table to identify one or more blocks; and
validating a transaction stored in the one or more blocks.

5. An apparatus in a network, the apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to:
store, via a distributed hash table, a blockchain block, the distributed hash table storing blockchain data using a virtual copy of a blockchain stored on a network node in the network,
wherein the network node stores a record of a longest blockchain of the network node to trigger a garbage collection operation in the distributed hash table in accordance with a garbage collection policy of the distributed hash table, and
wherein the virtual copy of the blockchain includes only header information identifying the blockchain data, and wherein the virtual copy of the blockchain is stored in the distributed hash table for access via a network device in the network, the network device storing a subset of the blockchain data and being assigned to a unique subset of an individual key space of the distributed hash table; and

a processor configured to:
identify, via the distributed hash table, that the network device has failed or is inaccessible; and
reassign, via the distributed hash table, the unique subset of the individual key space previously assigned to the failed or inaccessible network devices to another network device in the network.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the subset of the blockchain data comprises header information that corresponds to blocks of the blockchain.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a plurality of network devices each assigned to a unique subset of an individual key space of the distributed hash table.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
poll the distributed hash table to identify one or more blocks, and
validate a transaction stored in the one or more blocks.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store at least one instruction that when executed by a processor of a device implementing a distributed hash table in a network causes the processor to perform:
storing, via the distributed hash table, a blockchain block, the distributed hash table storing blockchain data using a virtual copy of a blockchain stored on a network node in the network,
wherein the network node stores a record of a longest blockchain of the network node to trigger a garbage collection operation in the distributed hash table in accordance with a garbage collection policy of the distributed hash table, and
wherein the virtual copy of the blockchain includes only header information identifying the blockchain data, and wherein the virtual copy of the blockchain is stored in the distributed hash table for access via a network device in the network, the network device storing a subset of the blockchain data and being assigned to a unique subset of an individual key space of the distributed hash table; identifying, via the distributed hash table, that the network device has failed or is inaccessible; and
reassigning, via the distributed hash table, the unique subset of the individual key space previously assigned to the failed or inaccessible network devices to another network device in the network.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the subset of the blockchain data comprises header information corresponding to blocks of the blockchain.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising:
a plurality of network devices each assigned to a unique subset of an individual key space of the distributed hash table.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further configured to store at least one instruction that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform:
polling, via the network device, the distributed hash table to identify one or more blocks; and
validating a transaction stored in the one or more blocks.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bathen Luis Angel D
• Madl Gabor
• Routray Ramani R
• Qiao Mu

Classifications

• G06Q2220/00

  Business processing using cryptography · CPC title

• H04L9/3247

  involving digital signatures · CPC title

• H04L9/3236

  using cryptographic hash functions · CPC title

• H04L2209/56

  Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash · CPC title

• H04L67/1095 Primary

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title