Recently, many of us are increasingly faced with such a concept as blockchain. What is this system? Unfortunately, not everyone knows about it, although it has very promising chances for development and implementation in everyday life. Let's try to describe what blockchain is, in simple words. To crown it all, several examples of using the new technology will be given, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the global information structure.
Blockchain: what is it?
The system itself appeared relatively recently. Unless you dig into the main technical aspects of functioning, the blockchain technology is a clearly structured database with certain rules for constructing transaction chains and access to information that excludes data theft, fraud, violation of property rights, etc.
In addition, when working with it, only two parties are involved, without involving intermediaries for conducting transactions of any type. If we talk about what blockchain is, in simple words, the technology can be compared with some kind of transparent safe, say, made of impenetrable glass, in which every registered client (user) can put something. At the same time, everyone else sees what exactly is being put there. But you can pick up something from the safe only if you have certain access rights, roughly speaking, a key known only to the person for whom it is intended. As already clear, it is impossible to crack or break the safe. But, in fact, this is a rather primitive comparison.
In a sense, the blockchain system can be represented as a kind of global book in which the basic rules for storing and distributing information are described by mathematical means, excluding external access to it even at the level of registered clients or administrators. It is easy to guess that this system does not have any one manager as such.
How does blockchain work?
The basic principle of the functioning of the new technology is the transparency of operations with the impossibility of changing them by persons who do not have authorized access to it. The founder of blockchain technology is the Bitcoin system, which at one time was created in the form of a self-regulating cryptocurrency that does not require maintenance by financial organizations or banks. She used the blockchain platform to record transactions of any type. Similarly, any blockchain wallet works, for example, the same Qiwi system.
Understanding the basic principles of the functioning of a global database is possible by the example of DNA structure. It has its own chain of transaction blocks (transactions, payments, etc.). In this case, after the completion and confirmation of any transaction (according to the established mathematical rules), a new block is added to the chain. And each such block, like a DNA cell, contains information about the entire network as a whole. Thus, the blockchain technology initially determines the impossibility of adding a fake block or removing an existing one, since this will immediately be visible throughout the system. Roughly speaking, one cannot add to the structure what should not be there. When a block is deleted, the system responds in the same way to changes in the global structure. So it turns out that fraud, attempts of unauthorized interference or the same piracy are almost completely excluded.
Main applications
At the stage of its emergence, blockchain technology (from the English block chain) was used exclusively for cryptocurrency, and a little later it was adopted by some banking institutions.
However, today in its development a new system penetrates our everyday life quite deeply. Platforms for developing business applications based on blockchain technology can even control compliance with copyrights, tracking the production processes of a product for its compliance with declared standards, not to mention absolutely all financial transactions.
The main platforms for building business applications
Among the most advanced and frequently used platforms on the basis of which software products for business can be created, the following can be noted:
- EmcSSH.
- EmcSSL.
- Emc InfoCard.
- EmcTTS.
- Emc DPO.
- Emc Atom.
- Emc DNS.
Let's consider each of them separately.
Emcssh
From the point of view of the EmcSSH platform, which is an additional extension of SSH technology for network administration, the blockchain is a kind of specialized storage of public keys (passwords) and lists of users authorized for authorized access.
For example, a network user has access to several machines. To do this, a password-protected secret key file stored in the blockchain is used, which eliminates the manifestation of hacker attacks called MIM ("the man in the middle"). If the impossible happened - the file is stolen, then the user can instantly change it to a new one or block access.
This technique is most effective when you need to manage a large number of servers, a network of ATMs, remote computer terminals, etc. What is most interesting, such global control can be carried out regardless of geographic location, and with the same simplicity as when working on a regular local network.
Emcssl
This platform is an extension of the user SSL protocol. For him, blockchain is a place to store the so-called digital fingerprints of certificates of individual users or organizations.
Upon entering, for example, the bank’s website, and exchanging information between the user and the Internet banking system, the user is authorized on the basis of such certificates, which makes it impossible to steal passwords, codes or keys by third parties. In the event a client loses a certificate, the procedure for its restoration is simplified quite strongly, although it has some inconveniences in terms of the restrictions imposed (the recovery service is paid, but the process itself requires a lot of time).
Emc infocard
This platform basically uses a system of electronic business cards inextricably linked to user SSL certificates. Unlike the latter, such business cards are convenient in that the information contained in them can be changed.
When you enter a certain Internet resource that supports this technology (for example, a blockchain wallet), authorization occurs on the basis of a virtual business card, and information from it is downloaded automatically. The convenience of such a system is that when you change the data in a business card, it changes on all the resources where it is registered, at the same time and completely in automatic mode. So the user does not have any need to re-fill the registration fields on a huge number of sites manually.
EmcTTS
The TTS system is a means of fixing the placed documents of any type in time with the creation of the imprint of the moment of their publication.
This technology is indispensable in legal matters when it is required to prove the authenticity of a document, contract, patent or even publication of copyright. By the fingerprint of time, you can quite simply check not only the date of issue or publication, but also the time to the nearest second. And in jurisprudence, this can sometimes play a key role.
For example, there are two companies that have concluded a contract for the provision of certain services. The first after signing the contract made its publication using TTS technology. The second company did not know about this, and after a while it began to arbitrarily amend the contract, citing the allegedly lost own copy, and even stating that some points were spelled out in its current version. There is nothing simpler than proving the first company is right on a temporary print of a publication.
Emc dpo
The DPO system is another branch of the core technology used to prove the rights to any property in physical or intellectual terms.
Simply put, on the basis of unique numbers or characteristics, the use of such technology can confirm, for example, the right to own a car, house or apartment, land, software development, etc. Cadastral numbers, registration certificates, serial numbers can be used equally. software licenses, and in some cases, say, for real estate - the location, etc. With this system, re-registration of property rights is very simple. It is enough to perform the simplest operation on changing data in the blockchain. As already clear, access to such processes can only be obtained by persons who have the right to this, and outside interference is excluded.
Emc atom
Atom is a system designed to conclude transactions between two parties without the participation of a third or intermediaries.
To make it clear, in some cases, when transferring property rights or concluding contracts, two parties are forced to turn to a notary public, to a legal office, to a bank and other organizations. In this situation, their participation is not required. Registration in the event of a transaction with property, when the seller received the money, and the ownership is reissued to the buyer, is a confirmation of the legality of the operation with a preliminary verification of the ownership of the property by the seller, and later on with confirmation of the ownership of the new owner. True, such an approach can only be used if both parties trust each other unconditionally.
Emc dns
Finally, another platform, which is an alternative system for distributing domain names in networks, which prevents cybercriminals from attacking the DNS.
It is believed that with the use of such technology, any distributed network tied to the Internet becomes practically invulnerable.
High speed transactions
This type of technology is designed to conduct micropayments at minimal cost and expense. Such calculations can have very small amounts (even for fractions of a penny).
Since all transactions are virtual, the system allows you to remove any performance restrictions in the so-called TPS metric, despite the fact that any calculation has its value, expressed either in monetary terms or in resources consumed for its execution.
Advantages and disadvantages of the system
In the end, it remains to say that the benefits of the blockchain system are quite pronounced. The most important thing in technology is impeccable reliability and, as claimed, absolute safety. Despite this, there is an active debate today on the appropriateness of the widespread introduction of such technology. Bankers, by the way, are in no hurry to use it because of the low speed of work, which initially depends on traffic, although they recognize that speed has a lower priority compared to the reliability and security of operations.
But any consumer using blockchain technology can even independently verify the quality of the purchased goods by monitoring the entire production and supply chain to make sure that the purchase really meets the specified standards.
However, it’s too early to talk about the global implementation of this technology, the appearance of which, according to many experts, is comparable only with the emergence of the global Internet. And the applications created on its basis, not to mention the organizations that use them, are not as many as many would like. However, most experts are inclined to think that blockchain has a great future. Like it or not, time will tell. It is hoped that this system will not suffer the fate of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency, which it was recently decided to abandon.