Methods and apparatuses for reading and updating data structures, and electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11775507-B2
Application number	US-202117163279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2021
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, medium, and system are disclosed. In one computer-implemented method, an invocation request sent by an initiator is received by a blockchain node in a blockchain network. The invocation request is associated with invocation of a smart contract in the blockchain network. The smart contract includes contract code, data, and pre-update metadata. A pre-update data structure described by the pre-update metadata is parsed by the blockchain node and by execution of the contract code. The pre-update data structure is associated with the data comprised in the smart contract. Following parsing of the pre-update data structure, the pre-update data structure is represented by the blockchain node using a computer programming language. The pre-update data structure specified by the computer programming language is sent by the blockchain node to the initiator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by a blockchain node in a blockchain network, and from an initiator having access to the blockchain network, an invocation request associated with invocation of a smart contract associated with the blockchain network, wherein the smart contract comprises contract code, contract data, and first metadata, and the first metadata is not part of the contract data;
in response to receiving the invocation request, parsing, by executing the contract code by the blockchain node, the first metadata to obtain a first data structure defined by the first metadata, wherein the first metadata defines, using a definition description language, the first data structure, wherein the definition description language is not directly editable by the initiator, and wherein the first data structure comprises a structure of the contract data comprised in the smart contract;
following parsing of the first metadata, converting, by executing the contract code by the blockchain node, the definition description language to a computer programming language that is directly editable by the initiator;
representing, by the blockchain node, the first data structure using the computer programming language;
sending, by the blockchain node and to the initiator, the first data structure specified by the computer programming language;
receiving, by the blockchain node and from the initiator, a second invocation request for the smart contract;
receiving, by the blockchain node and from the initiator, a second data structure that is based on the computer programming language, wherein the second data structure is associated with the contract data comprised in the smart contract;
in response to receiving the second invocation request, parsing, by the blockchain node, the second data structure by executing the contract code;
following parsing of the second data structure, representing, by the blockchain node, second metadata using the second data structure, wherein the second metadata is based on the definition description language;
updating, by the blockchain node and as updated first metadata, the first metadata using the second metadata; and
updating, by the blockchain node, the contract data based on a result from parsing the updated first metadata.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first metadata is associated with description of the contract data comprised in the smart contract.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the computer programming language comprises a language of a predetermined type or a language of a type indicated in the invocation request.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second metadata is associated with description of the contract data comprised in the smart contract.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the updating, by the blockchain node, the first metadata using the second metadata comprises:
comparing the first data structure with the second data structure; and
verifying that the second data structure is consistent with the first data structure.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:
in response to verifying that the second data structure is consistent with the first data structure, updating the first metadata using the second metadata.

7. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a blockchain node in a blockchain network, and from an initiator having access to the blockchain network, an invocation request associated with invocation of a smart contract associated with the blockchain network, wherein the smart contract comprises contract code, contract data, and first metadata, and the first metadata is not part of the contract data;
in response to receiving the invocation request, parsing, by executing the contract code by the blockchain node, the first metadata to obtain a first data structure defined by the first metadata, wherein the first metadata defines, using a definition description language, the first data structure, wherein the definition description language is not directly editable by the initiator, and wherein the first data structure comprises a structure of the contract data comprised in the smart contract;
following parsing of the first metadata, converting, by executing the contract code by the blockchain node, the definition description language to a computer programming language that is directly editable by the initiator;
representing, by the blockchain node, the first data structure using the computer programming language;
sending, by the blockchain node and to the initiator, the first data structure specified by the computer programming language;
receiving, by the blockchain node and from the initiator, a second invocation request for the smart contract;
receiving, by the blockchain node and from the initiator, a second data structure that is based on the computer programming language, wherein the second data structure is associated with the contract data comprised in the smart contract;
in response to receiving the second invocation request, parsing, by the blockchain node, the second data structure by executing the contract code;
following parsing of the second data structure, representing, by the blockchain node, second metadata using the second data structure, wherein the second metadata is based on the definition description language;
updating, by the blockchain node and as updated first metadata, the first metadata using the second metadata; and
updating, by the blockchain node, the contract data based on a result from parsing the updated first metadata.

8. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the first metadata is associated with description of the contract data comprised in the smart contract.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer programming language comprises a language of a predetermined type or a language of a type indicated in the invocation request.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the second metadata is associated with description of the contract data comprised in the smart contract.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the updating, by the blockchain node, the first metadata using the second metadata comprises:
comparing the first data structure with the second data structure; and
verifying that the second data structure is consistent with the first data structure.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
in response to verifying that the second data structure is consistent with the first data structure, updating the first metadata using the second metadata.

13. A computer-implemented system, comprising:
one or more computers; and
one or more computer memory devices interoperably coupled with the one or more computers and having tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable media storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, perform one or more operations comprising:
receiving, by a blockchain node in a blockchain network, and from an initiator having access to the blockchain network, an invocation request associated with invocation of a smart contract associated with the blockchain network, wherein the smart contract comprises contract code, contract data, and first metadata, and the first metadata is not part of the contract data;
in response to receiving the invo

Assignees

• Advanced New Technologies Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Benquan
• Zhuo Haizhen
• Lu Zhonghao
• Wang Faqiang

Classifications

• G06F16/2379 Primary

  Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing · CPC title

• G06F16/2365

  Ensuring data consistency and integrity · CPC title

• G06F16/27

  Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor · CPC title

• G06F16/23 Primary

  Updating · CPC title

• G06Q40/04 Primary

  Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange · CPC title