Secondary Blockchain Management Study Guide

Glossary

Term Definitions Blockchain A list of data blocks connected in chronological order, each containing a pointer to the previous block, used to securely and transparently record transactions. Block A single record in a blockchain that contains transaction data, a timestamp, and a cryptographic hash. Smart Contract A program stored on a blockchain that automatically executes when predefined conditions are met. Primary Blockchain A blockchain that is considered highly trusted and secure in a multi-level blockchain system and is used to verify the activities of a secondary blockchain. A secondary blockchain is a blockchain that relies on the primary blockchain to enhance its security and reliability. Primary Blockchain Management Device A device responsible for managing the primary blockchain, verifying transactions, and executing smart contracts. Secondary Blockchain Management Device A device responsible for managing the secondary blockchain, creating new blocks, and relaying transaction data to the primary blockchain. Secondary Blockchain Startup Device A device that starts a secondary blockchain, creates smart contracts, and registers the secondary blockchain on the primary blockchain. Blockchain Verification Device A device that verifies the integrity of the primary and/or secondary blockchains. Blockchain Usage Device A device that interacts with a blockchain to conduct transactions or access blockchain data. Consensus Mechanism A mechanism used in a blockchain network to reach agreement on the validity of a transaction among all participants. Proof of Work (PoW)A consensus mechanism that requires nodes in the network to perform a large amount of computational work to solve a mathematical puzzle in order to create new blocks. Proof of Stake (PoS)A consensus mechanism that selects nodes to verify transactions and create new blocks based on the stake (cryptocurrency) they hold in the network. Merkle TreeA data structure that allows for efficient and secure verification of large amounts of data, often used to aggregate transaction hashes in a blockchain. Short Answer Questions

Explain the relationship between the primary blockchain and the secondary blockchain. The primary blockchain is considered highly trusted, and the activities of the secondary blockchain are recorded on the primary blockchain to enhance its credibility. The secondary blockchain relies on the security of the primary blockchain and uses the primary blockchain to verify its own transactions and events.

What role do smart contracts play in secondary blockchain management? Smart contracts are used to verify actions on the secondary blockchain. For example, the action of creating a new block on the secondary blockchain can be verified by executing a smart contract on the primary blockchain.

What are the main functions of the secondary blockchain startup device? Start the secondary blockchain, create a smart contract on the primary blockchain, and register the secondary blockchain with the primary blockchain.

Explain how the blockchain verification device uses the primary blockchain to verify the secondary blockchain. The blockchain verification device verifies the behavior of the secondary blockchain, such as the creation of a new block, by checking the records on the primary blockchain. If the records on the primary blockchain are consistent with the information received from the secondary blockchain, the verification is successful.

Why is it more efficient to record the identity of a new block than to record the entire block when managing a secondary blockchain? Recording an identity (such as a hash value) is more space-efficient than recording the entire block, while still uniquely identifying the block. This reduces storage requirements and improves efficiency.

Describe how a blockchain-using device verifies the validity of a transaction. The blockchain-using device can verify the validity of a transaction by obtaining the block of the secondary blockchain that contains the transaction, and using the information obtained from the primary blockchain to verify the validity of the block.

Explain what the role of the "longest chain rule" is in secondary blockchain management. The longest chain rule is used to resolve conflicts in the event of a fork in a blockchain network. The rule states that nodes in the network should always consider the longest valid chain to be the correct blockchain.

In a multi-level blockchain system, what is the root blockchain? The root blockchain is the highest-level blockchain in the hierarchy, which is considered the most trusted and secure and is used to verify the activities of lower-level blockchains.

List at least three practical application scenarios in which a multi-level blockchain system can be applied. Supply chain management, digital identity verification, and recording medical data.

Explain the difference between using Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) as consensus mechanisms in secondary blockchain management. PoW requires nodes to perform a lot of computational work to create new blocks, while PoS selects nodes to verify transactions based on the stake they hold in the network. PoW consumes more energy, while PoS is more energy-efficient.

Paper Title

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of multi-level blockchain systems relative to single-level blockchain systems in terms of security and scalability.

Analyze and compare different consensus mechanisms such as Proof of Work (PoW), Proof of Stake (PoS), and Proof of Authority (PoA) in the context of secondary blockchain management.

Explore innovative use cases for using smart contracts for secondary blockchain management, beyond the examples provided in this paper.

Discuss the potential applications and challenges of multi-level blockchain systems in different industries (e.g., supply chain, healthcare, finance).

Evaluate the feasibility of providing a multi-level blockchain system as a service, allowing enterprises to build and manage their own secondary blockchains on top of it without the burden of setting up and maintaining the underlying infrastructure.

Short answer questions

The primary blockchain is considered highly trusted, and the activities of the secondary blockchain are recorded on the primary blockchain to enhance its credibility. The secondary blockchain relies on the security of the primary blockchain and utilizes the primary blockchain to verify its own transactions and events.

Smart contracts are used to perform predefined operations on the secondary blockchain, such as verifying newly created blocks or managing user access rights.

The secondary blockchain initiation device is responsible for initiating the secondary blockchain, creating smart contracts on the primary blockchain, and registering the secondary blockchain to the primary blockchain.

The blockchain verification device checks the records on the primary blockchain to verify the behavior of the secondary blockchain, such as the creation of new blocks. If the records on the primary blockchain are consistent with the information received from the secondary blockchain, the verification is successful.

Recording identification is more efficient than recording the entire block because it reduces storage requirements and improves efficiency while still providing a unique identification of the block.

A blockchain-using device can verify the validity of a transaction by obtaining the block of the secondary blockchain that contains the transaction. In addition, the device can also use the information obtained from the primary blockchain to verify the validity of the block.

The "longest chain rule" is used to resolve conflicts in the event of a fork in the blockchain network, ensuring that nodes agree on the correct state of the blockchain.

The root blockchain is the highest level blockchain in a multi-level blockchain system. It is considered the most trusted and secure and is used to verify the activities of lower-level blockchains.

Three real-world application scenarios where multi-level blockchain systems can be applied are: supply chain management, digital identity verification, and recording medical data.

Proof of Work (PoW) requires a lot of computing power to create new blocks, while Proof of Stake (PoS) selects nodes to verify transactions based on the stake they hold in the network. PoW consumes more energy, while PoS is more energy-efficient.