On-chain governance of blockchain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11095433-B2
Application number	US-201816025535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

An example operation may include one or more of receiving a request to modify a governance policy of a blockchain, identifying a principal identity that controls the governance policy, determining an allowable combination of signatures of the principal identity required for modifying the governance policy based on a graph data structure storing signature policies for endorsing modifications to governance policies, and modifying the governance policy of the blockchain based on the request in response to an allowable combination of signatures being received.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing system comprising:
a network interface configured to receive a request to modify a governance policy of a blockchain; and
a processing device configured to
identify a node within a graph data structure where a signature policy of the governance policy is stored based on a location identification value of the signature policy mapped to an identifier of the governance policy on the blockchain,
determine an allowable combination of signatures required for modification of the governance policy from the signature policy stored at the identified node within the graph data structure, and
modify the governance policy of the blockchain based on the request in response to receipt of an allowable combination of signatures.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to read the graph data structure from a data block stored in a hash-linked chain of blocks on the blockchain.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the graph data structure comprises a directed acyclic graph in which a group of principal identities of the blockchain are mapped to a group of nodes arranged in a tree structure.

4. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein the tree structure comprises a hierarchical and recursive structure in which nodes closer to the root of the tree structure require greater signature agreement than nodes farther from the root of the tree structure.

5. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein a parent node in the tree structure represents a signature policy that requires satisfaction of a signature policy represented by a child node.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the signature policy identifies one or more of a certificate, a member, an administrator, and an organization unit.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the allowable combination of signatures comprises a quorum of users associated with a principal identity.

8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the request to modify the governance policy comprises one or more of a request to change a block size, a request to change a block hash algorithm, a request to change a block batch timeout of the blockchain, a request to change how new blockchain members are added, and a request to change an ability of a blockchain peer to transact on the blockchain.

9. A method comprising:
receiving a request to modify a governance policy of a blockchain;
identifying a node within a graph data structure where a signature policy of the governance policy is stored based on a location identification value of the signature policy mapped to an identifier of the governance policy on the blockchain;
determining an allowable combination of signatures required for modifying the governance policy from the signature policy stored at the identified node within the graph data structure; and
modifying the governance policy of the blockchain based on the request in response to an allowable combination of signatures being received.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising reading the graph data structure from a data block stored in a hash-linked chain of blocks on the blockchain.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the graph data structure comprises a directed acyclic graph in which a group of principal identities of the blockchain are mapped to a group of nodes arranged in a tree structure.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the tree structure comprises a hierarchical and recursive structure in which nodes closer to the root of the tree structure require greater signature agreement than nodes farther from the root of the tree structure.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a parent node in the tree structure represents a signature policy that requires a signature policy represented by a child node to be satisfied.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the signature policy identifies one or more of a certificate, a member, an administrator, and an organization unit.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the allowable combination of signatures comprises a quorum of users associated with a principal identity.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the request to modify the governance policy comprises one or more of a request to change a block size, a request to change a block hashing algorithm, a request to change a block batch timeout of the blockchain, a request to change how new blockchain members are added, and a request to change an ability of a blockchain peer to transact on the blockchain.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
receiving a request to modify a governance policy of a blockchain;
identifying a node within a graph data structure where a signature policy of the governance policy is stored based on a location identification value of the signature policy mapped to an identifier of the governance policy on the blockchain;
determining an allowable combination of signatures required for modifying the governance policy a from the signature policy stored at the identified node within the graph data structure; and
modifying the governance policy of the blockchain based on the request in response to an allowable combination of signatures being received.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises further comprising reading the graph data structure from a data block stored in a hash-linked chain of blocks on the blockchain.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the graph data structure comprises a directed acyclic graph in which a group of principal identities of the blockchain are mapped to a group of nodes arranged in a tree structure.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the tree structure comprises a hierarchical and recursive structure in which nodes closer to the root of the tree structure require greater signature agreement than nodes farther from the root of the tree structure.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Vouk Meeta
• Singh Gari
• Yellick Jason K
• Cuomo Gennaro A

Classifications

• H04L9/50 Primary

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• H04L67/104

  Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks · CPC title

• H04L9/0643

  Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC · CPC title

• H04L63/20

  for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227) · CPC title

• H04L9/3239

  involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD · CPC title