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While most people are still trying to wrap their heads around
blockchain and its difference from Bitcoin, others are using it in a wide range of domains. Is it hype, a case of
having a hammer and seeing problems as nails, or could blockchain actually have a purpose in the database
world?
BigchainDB's creators argue there is a reason, and a way, for blockchain and databases to live happily ever
after.
Blockchain technology, put simply, is a type of digital ledger which records transactions, agreements, contracts and sales. The technology is
decentralized, which means that information is stored in computers around the world, and is constantly updated in real-time to reflect changes in
stock, sales and accounts by bringing records together into blocks before algorithms 'chain' these data stores together chronologically.
WHAT
Under the hood, BigchainDB utilizes two distributed databases, S (transaction set or "backlog") and C
(blockchain), connected by the BigchainDB Consensus Algorithm (BCA). The BCA runs on each signing node,
with signing nodes forming a federation. Non-signing clients may connect to BigchainDB, and depending on
permissions they may be able to read, issue assets, transfer assets, and more.
Each of the distributed DBs, S and C, is an off-the-shelf big data DB. BigchainDB does not interfere with their
internal workings, so it gets to leverage their scalability properties, as well as features like revision control
and benefits like battle-tested code. Each DB is running its own internal consensus algorithm for consistency.
HOW
At this point BigchainDB has moved towards using MongoDB, and is in fact in a partnership with them. But
why MongoDB? It could have been any other open source distributed database. "We did consider a number of
DBs, but we wanted a document DB to begin with as we're working with JSON at this point, and MongoDB is
an obvious choice."
But, again, isn't BigchainDB afraid that combining the notorious blockchain with the recently targeted
MongoDBcould raise multiple red flags in terms of security? McConaghy has openly acknowledged that the
underlying DB may be a security vulnerability at this point, but is neither critical of MongoDB nor apologetic.
"MongoDB has been clear about providing ease of access by removing hard security, so it's not their fault if
people left their installations on the internet unsecured. As for us, at this point we are no better or worse
than a centralized solution, and we will definitely add improved security features before moving to
production," he says.
BigchainDB promises blockchain advantages, plus scalability. See also addendum. Image: BigchainDB
BigchainDB works by offering an API on top of the underlying database, with the aim of acting as a
substrate-agnostic layer that adds the key blockchain features of decentralization, immutability, and asset
transferability. But that leads to some interesting issues.
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