PF-BVM: A Privacy-aware Fog-enhanced Blockchain Validation Mechanism

2022

Preprint

Trusted online credential management solutions are needed for instant and practical verification. Most of the available frameworks targeting this field violate the privacy of end-users or lack sufficient solutions in terms of security and Quality-of-Service (QoS). In this paper, we propose a Privacy-aware Fog-enhanced Blockchain-based online credential solution, namely PriFoB. Our proposed solution adopts a public permissioned Blockchain model with different reliable encryption schemes, standardized Zero-Knowledge-Proofs (ZKPs) and Digital Signatures (DS) within a Fog-Blockchain integrated framework, which is also GDPR compliant. We deploy both the Proof-of-Authority (PoA) and the Signatures-of-Work (SoW) consensus algorithms for efficient and secure handling of Verifiable Credentials (VCs) and global accreditation of VC issuers, respectively. Furthermore, we propose a novel three-dimensional DAG-based model of the Distributed Ledger (3DDL) and provide ready-to-deploy PriFoB implementation. We discuss insights regarding the utilization and the potential of PriFoB, and evaluate it in terms of security, privacy, latency, throughput and power utilization. We analyze its performance in different layers of Fog-enabled cloud architecture with simulation and emulation, and we show that PriFoB outperforms several Blockchain-based solutions utilizing Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Hyperledger Besu and Hyperledger Indy platforms.

Section: The Distributed Ledgermentioning

confidence: 99%

PriFoB: a Privacy-aware Fog-enhanced Blockchain-based system for Global Accreditation and Credential Verification

Baniata¹,

2022

Preprint

“…On the other hand, if the fog layer is controlling and automating the communications between the end-user layer and the BC network, as in Baniata & Kertész (2020) , the TXs are sent from end-users to the fog. After that, some communication takes place between the fog layer and the BC network in order to successfully perform the tasks requested by end-users.…”

Section: Bc Architectural Elementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we need to underline some differences between the terms verification, validation, and confirmation, and we need to see how FoBSim differentiates between those terms in different scenarios. As we have touched on these differences in Baniata & Kertész (2020), we need to accurately define each of these terms in order to correctly describe how FoBSim works. Validation is the process when a miner (either a minter or receiver) checks the correctness of a claim.…”

Section: Transaction/block Validation In Fobsimmentioning

confidence: 99%

FoBSim: an extensible open-source simulation tool for integrated fog-blockchain systems

Baniata¹,

2021

PeerJ Computer Science

A lot of hard work and years of research are still needed for developing successful Blockchain (BC) applications. Although it is not yet standardized, BC technology was proven as to be an enhancement factor for security, decentralization, and reliability, leading to be successfully implemented in cryptocurrency industries. Fog computing (FC) is one of the recently emerged paradigms that needs to be improved to serve Internet of Things (IoT) environments of the future. As hundreds of projects, ideas, and systems were proposed, one can find a great R&D potential for integrating BC and FC technologies. Examples of organizations contributing to the R&D of these two technologies, and their integration, include Linux, IBM, Google, Microsoft, and others. To validate an integrated Fog-Blockchain protocol or method implementation, before the deployment phase, a suitable and accurate simulation environment is needed. Such validation should save a great deal of costs and efforts on researchers and companies adopting this integration. Current available simulation environments facilitate Fog simulation, or BC simulation, but not both. In this paper, we introduce a Fog-Blockchain simulator, namely FoBSim, with the main goal to ease the experimentation and validation of integrated Fog-Blockchain approaches. According to our proposed workflow of simulation, we implement different Consensus Algorithms (CA), different deployment options of the BC in the FC architecture, and different functionalities of the BC in the simulation. Furthermore, technical details and algorithms on the simulated integration are provided. We validate FoBSim by describing the technologies used within FoBSim, highlighting FoBSim’s novelty compared to the state-of-the-art, discussing the event validity in FoBSim, and providing a clear walk-through validation. Finally, we simulate case studies, then present and analyze the obtained results, where deploying the BC network in the fog layer shows enhanced efficiency in terms of total run time and total storage cost.

“…On the other hand, if the fog layer is controlling and automating the communications between the end-user layer and the BC network, as in [61], the transactions are sent from end-users to the fog. After that, some communications take place between the fog layer and the BC network in order to successfully perform the tasks requested by end-users.…”

Section: Transactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we need to underline some differences between the terms Verification, Validation and Confirmation, and we need to see how FoBSim differentiates between those terms in different scenarios. As we have touched on these differences in [61], we need to accurately define each of these terms in order to correctly describe how FoBSim works.…”

Section: Transaction/block Validation In Fobsimmentioning

confidence: 99%

FoBSim: An extensible open-source simulation tool for integrated Fog-Blockchain systems

Baniata¹,

2020

Preprint

A lot of hard work and years of research are still needed for developing successful Blockchain (BC) applications. Although it is not yet standardized, BC technology was proven as to be an enhancement factor for security, decentralization, and reliability, leading to be successfully implemented in cryptocurrency industries. Fog computing (FC) is one of the recently emerged paradigms that needs to be improved to serve Internet of Things (IoT) environments of the future. As hundreds of projects, ideas, and systems were proposed, one can find a great R\&D potential for integrating BC and FC technologies. Examples of organizations contributing to the R\&D of these two technologies, and their integration, include Linux, IBM, Google, Microsoft, and others. To validate an integrated Fog-Blockchain protocol or method implementation, before the deployment phase, a suitable and accurate simulation environment is needed. Such validation should save a great deal of costs and efforts on researchers and companies adopting this integration. Current available simulation environments facilitate Fog simulation, or BC simulation, but not both. In this paper, we introduce a Fog-Blockchain simulator, namely FoBSim, with the main goal is to ease the experimentation and validation of integrated Fog-Blockchain approaches. According to our proposed workflow of simulation, we implement different Consensus Algorithms (CA), different deployment options of the BC in the FC architecture, and different functionalities of the BC in the simulation. Furthermore, technical details and algorithms on the simulated integration are provided. We validate FoBSim by describing the technologies used within FoBSim, highlighting FoBSim novelty compared to the state-of-the-art, discussing the event validity in FoBSim, and providing a clear walk-through validation. Finally, we simulate two case studies, then present and analyze the obtained results.