Blockchain Logging System for Immutable Application Event Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing logging systems lack immutability and trustworthiness, making it difficult to ensure the integrity and security of critical application events for auditing purposes.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing a blockchain to log the hash of application event payloads, ensuring immutability through a Merkle tree configuration and enabling smart contracts for maintaining a leaderboard, while storing original data in the cloud with hashes in the blockchain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional logging systems are used to store application events, then the logging process is simple and fast, but the logs can be tampered with and lack immutability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blockchain as an intermediary layer between the logging system and storage. Instead of directly storing logs in a traditional system, the logging system interacts with the blockchain which mediates the storage process, ensuring immutability through cryptographic hashing and distributed consensus mechanisms while maintaining relative simplicity in the logging interface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the logging system into distinct components: event generation, hash computation, blockchain interaction, and storage. By dividing the system into modular segments with clear responsibilities, the complexity is managed through separation of concerns while achieving reliable immutable logging
2Reliability
If all log data is stored in the blockchain, then data integrity is ensured, but storage efficiency and retrieval speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential integrity-verifying component (hash) and stores it in the blockchain, while the actual log data is stored separately in traditional storage systems. This extraction approach maintains data integrity verification capabilities while avoiding the performance penalties of storing all data on-chain
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a two-dimensional storage architecture: one dimension (blockchain) stores cryptographic hashes for integrity verification, and another dimension (traditional storage) stores the actual log data for efficient retrieval. This dimensional separation allows both integrity and efficiency requirements to be satisfied simultaneously
3Reliability
If hashes are computed and stored in blockchain for each log event, then tampering detection is enabled, but processing time and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by computing hashes only for log events that require integrity verification and immutability guarantees, rather than hashing every single log event. This selective approach maintains tampering detection capabilities for critical events while reducing overall processing overhead
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs hash computation as a preliminary step before storing log data, integrating the hashing operation into the log generation workflow. By preparing the hash in advance, the system enables efficient tampering detection without adding significant processing time during log retrieval and analysis phases
Data Source
AI summary
A blockchain of transactions may be used for various purposes and may be later accessed by interested parties for ledger verification. One example method of operation may include one or more of monitoring one or more applications to identify application events, identifying one or more application events, determining a hash of a log message payload associated with the application events and logging the hash of the log message payload in a blockchain.