Modeling and Simulation of a Blockchain Consensus for IoT Node Data Validation

Abstract

The classical blockchain developed for the Bitcoin cryptocurrency has evolved since its introduction more than a decade ago. Blockchain exists in different forms for different purposes and operational contexts. There has been a significant growth in the business use cases of blockchain which is based on the unique attributes of the distributed ledger technology. Blockchain provides peer-to-peer distribution of data in a traceable and decentralized architecture that attains data authentication using consensus protocols. Blockchain as a distributed ledger is the fusion of cryptography, peer-to-peer networking technology, distributed system technology, and consensus mechanism to assure information security and digital asset management. Consensus mechanisms are applied to the distributed ledger that operates in a peer-to-peer network where message transmission between peers is validated and stored across all active peers. Reaching an agreement to validate message transmission and maintaining the correctness of the state of data in a network for critical wireless sensor networks have become a necessary requirement for networks that span several subsystems covering a large operational area. Due to the resource constrained nature of the active actors of wireless sensor networks, any cryptographic solution to be adopted must be lightweight and efficient as well. This paper proposes a blockchain-based decentralized mechanism for authentication of node data for storage onto a distributed ledger. The coloured Petri net was used to model and simulate by detailing the critical attributes of the workings of the system that is based on cyber-physical IoT architecture.