Converting processes into multiple blockchain smart contracts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11205178-B2
Application number	US-201715856138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

An example operation may include one or more of identifying a workflow specification including a number of entities and state elements, selecting two or more entities designated as a subset of entities among the entities, where the subset of entities share one or more of the state elements of the workflow specification among the state elements, and creating a first smart contract identifying the one or more state elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a machine-readable workflow specification including a plurality of entities and a plurality of state elements;
based on the received machine-readable workflow specification, identifying, by the processor, for a first sub-process, a first entity and a second entity of the plurality of the entities, a first state variable and a second state variable of the plurality of the state elements, and a first access control data, wherein the first access control data comprises a write access of the first state variable and a read access of the second state variable for the first entity, and a read access of the first state variable and a write access of the second state variable for the second entity;
based on the received machine-readable workflow specification, identifying, by the processor, for a second sub-process, the second entity and a third entity of the plurality of the entities, the second state variable and a third state variable of the plurality of the state elements, and a second access control data, wherein the second access control data comprises the write access of the second state variable and a read access of the third state variable for the second entity, and a read access of the second state variable and a write access of the third state variable for the third entity;
based on the first and second sub-processes, automatically generating, by the processor, for the first sub-process, a first smart contract which comprises the first and second variables, the first and second entities, and a first access rule based on the first access control data, and, for the second sub-process, a second smart contract which comprises the second and third variables, the second and third entities, and a second access rule based on the second access control data, wherein the second smart contract further comprises a subscription to an event of the second state variable of the first contract;
storing, by the processor, in a smart contract registry, the event of the first smart contract and the subscription of the second smart contract;
deploying, by the processor, the first and second smart contracts on a blockchain node;
receiving, by the processor, a request from the second entity to update the second state variable of the first smart contract;
determining, by the processor that the second entity has the write access to the second variable of the first contract based on the first access rule;
in response to the determining, updating, by the processor, the second state variable of the first smart contract by executing the first smart contract;
detecting, by the processor, the event of the second state variable from the first smart contract;
generating, by the processor, a notification to the second smart contract based on the detected event of the second state variable of the first contract; and
updating, by the processor, the second state variable of the second smart contract by executing the second smart contract based on the second access rule.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating comprises generating the first smart contract based on a smart contract template.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the generating comprises populating the smart contract template with respective state elements of the machine-readable workflow to generate the first smart contract.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the first and second smart contracts on a blockchain.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating comprises generating different access control rules for the first smart contract and the second smart contract.

6. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a machine-readable workflow specification including a plurality of entities and a plurality of state elements;
based on the received machine-readable workflow specification, identify, for a first sub-process, a first entity and a second entity of the plurality of the entities, a first state variable and a second state variable of the plurality of the state elements, and a first access control data, wherein the first access control data which comprises a write access of the first state variable and a read access of the second state variable for the first entity, and a read access of the first state variable and a write access of the second state variable for the second entity;
based on the received machine-readable workflow specification, identify, for a second sub-process, the second entity and a third entity of the plurality of the entities, the second state variable and a third state variable of the plurality of the state elements, and a second access control data, wherein the second access control data comprises the write access of the second state variable and a read access of the third state variable for the second entity, and a read access of the second state variable and a write access of the third state variable for the third entity;
based on the first and second sub-processes, automatically generate, for the first sub-process, a first smart contract-which comprises the first and second variables, the first and second entities, and a first access rule based on the first access control data, and, for the second sub-process, a second smart contract comprises the second and third variables, the second and third entities, and a second access rule based on the second access control data, wherein the second smart contract further comprises a subscription to an event of the second state variable of the first contract;
store, in a smart contract registry, the event of the first smart contract and the subscription of the second smart contract;
deploy the first and second smart contracts on a blockchain node;
receive a request from the second entity to update the second state variable of the first smart contract;
determinine that the second entity has the write access to the second variable of the first contract based on the first access rule;
in response to the determining, update the second state variable of the first smart contract by executing the first smart contract;
detect the event of the second state variable from the first smart contract;
generate a notification to the second smart contract based on the detected event of the second state variable of the first contract; and
update the second state variable of the second smart contract by executing the second smart contract based on the second access rule.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the first smart contract based on a smart contract template.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to populate the smart contract template with respective state elements of the machine readable workflow to generate the first smart contract.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to store the first and second smart contracts on a blockchain.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate different access control rules for the first smart contract and the second smart contract.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
receiving a machine-readable workflow specification including a plurality of entities and a plurality of state elements;
based on the received machine-readable workflow specification, identifying, for a first sub-process, a first entity and a second entity of the plurality of the entities, a first state variable and a second state variable of the plurality of the state elements, and a first access c

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Batra Vishal S
• Jayachandran Praveen
• Sharma Shachi
• Singh Abhishek

Classifications

• G06Q10/0633 Primary

  Workflow analysis · CPC title

• G06Q50/18

  Legal services · CPC title

• G06Q20/3827

  Use of message hashing · CPC title

• G06Q2220/00

  Business processing using cryptography · CPC title

• G06Q20/405

  Establishing or using transaction specific rules · CPC title