Access Control and Authorization Validator

Access Control and Authorization Validator

Describe the core principles of blockchain technology.

How does the described system leverage blockchain to enhance data security?

What is a smart contract and what is its purpose?

Explain the concept of a "forked blockchain" and its relationship to the main blockchain.

How does the invention solve problems related to data standardization?

Define "community sidechain" and explain how it can be used to share protected data between participants.

What is the role of the API gateway described in the invention?

Distinguish between public and private blockchains.

Explain the role of "materialized views" in retrieving data from a blockchain.

How does the invention solve the limitations of the traditional role-based access control (RBAC) model?

Quiz Answers

Blockchain is a secure, distributed, immutable ledger that records transactions between parties. It relies on cryptography and distributed consensus mechanisms to ensure transparency, security, and data integrity.

By storing data such as access permissions and API definitions on the blockchain, the system guarantees data transparency, traceability, and tamper-proofing. The decentralized nature of blockchain eliminates single points of failure and increases resilience to unauthorized access.

Smart contracts are self-executing contracts stored on the blockchain, with their terms written directly into the code. , Smart contracts are used to define and enforce access rights and authorization rules for API usage, ensuring that only authorized users can access and use the API.

A forked blockchain is a branch that separates from the main blockchain, creating an independent but interconnected ledger. It usually occurs when new governance rules or updates are introduced to the network. The forked blockchain remains linked to the main blockchain, maintaining a history of transactions.

The invention solves the problem of data standardization by implementing a well-defined metadata schema that establishes a common format for data storage on the blockchain. This metadata schema ensures that different applications can interpret and exchange data, thereby promoting interoperability.

A community sidechain is a private blockchain that allows a specific group of participants to share protected data while excluding them from the wider network. It provides a mechanism for establishing secure and private data sharing between authorized parties.

The API gateway acts as an intermediary between client applications and backend services, handling the routing, authentication, and authorization of API requests. , The API gateway interacts with the blockchain to retrieve access rights and verify user identity, thereby enforcing access control policies before API use.

Public blockchains are open to anyone, allowing anyone to participate in the network, validate transactions, and add blocks. In contrast, private blockchains restrict participation, allowing only authorized entities to access and participate in the network.

A materialized view is a pre-computed dataset that stores a snapshot of data from the blockchain, allowing for efficient data retrieval via traditional database queries. It simplifies data access without directly querying the blockchain, thereby improving performance.

Traditional RBAC models often rely on centralized authorization servers, which can introduce single points of failure and scalability issues. This invention addresses these issues by leveraging the distributed nature of blockchains, which allows access control policies to be enforced without relying on centralized permissions management.

Glossary

Term DefinitionsBlockchainA decentralized and distributed ledger that records transactions between parties, ensuring transparency, security, and data integrity. Smart ContractsA self-executing contract stored on a blockchain with its terms written directly into the code, allowing for automatic execution of agreements. ForkA branch of a blockchain that splits off from the main blockchain, creating an independent but interconnected ledger, usually triggered by a change in governance rules or updates. Community SidechainA private blockchain that allows a specific group of participants to share protected data outside of the wider network. API Gateway acts as an intermediary between client applications and backend services, handling routing, authentication, and authorization of API requests. Metadata describes data about data, providing information about its structure, format, and meaning. Materialized View A pre-computed dataset that stores a snapshot of data from the blockchain, allowing for efficient data retrieval through traditional database queries. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) An access control model that grants access to system resources based on the user's role. Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) A decentralized method for sharing, replicating, and synchronizing data across multiple computers or networks of nodes. API (Application Programming Interface) A set of rules and specifications that define what allows communication between different software systems.