Distributed Ledger Event Records for Tamper-Resistant Industrial Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control systems face challenges in providing immutable and tamper-resistant event data, leading to slow data processing, error-prone data selection, and low trust in machine learning/AI algorithms due to distributed data sources and changeability.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a distributed ledger to receive and store event data from industrial devices, where transaction data is written into the ledger, providing immutable and tamper-resistant event data through a selection process that authorizes nodes, ensuring data integrity and transparency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If data are distributed over multiple databases and system entities, then data availability is improved, but data processing speed deteriorates and error proneness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into two categories: immutable event data stored in the distributed ledger and mutable operational data stored in traditional databases. This segmentation allows critical event data to be immutably recorded for trust and availability, while operational data can be efficiently processed and updated, resolving the contradiction between data availability and processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed ledger acts as an intermediary layer between industrial devices and data consumers. It provides a trusted, immutable record of events that can be efficiently queried, while underlying databases store detailed operational data. This intermediary structure improves data availability for critical events without requiring slow processing of all distributed data sources.
2Ease of operation
If data are stored in distributed databases, then data accessibility is improved, but data integrity and trustworthiness deteriorate due to changeability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by hashing data before storage in the distributed ledger. The hash of the data is recorded immutably in the ledger, while the actual data can be stored elsewhere. This preliminary hashing action ensures that even if stored data changes, the integrity can be verified through the immutable hash record, maintaining both accessibility and trustworthiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of data in multiple forms: the original data stored in databases, hashed copies stored in the distributed ledger, and pointer information distributed to nodes. This copying strategy allows data to be accessible from multiple locations while the immutable hash copies provide integrity verification, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and reliability.
3Reliability
If all event data are stored in the distributed ledger, then immutability is improved, but storage efficiency and access speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential immutable elements (hashes, pointers, metadata) and stores them in the distributed ledger, while leaving the bulk of actual event data in traditional databases. This extraction approach maintains immutability for critical verification data while enabling fast access to the full dataset through the databases, resolving the contradiction between immutability and access speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to data storage by creating a two-layer architecture: an immutable layer (distributed ledger) for verification and a mutable layer (databases) for efficient storage and access. This dimensional change allows the system to achieve both immutability for critical data and fast access for operational data, as each layer serves its optimized purpose.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving data indicating an event from at least one industrial device; providing the received data indicating an event to nodes of a distributed ledger; in response, selecting at least one of the nodes of a distributed ledger and writing a transaction into the distributed ledger, wherein the writing of a transaction into the distributed ledger is authorized by the selected at least one of the nodes of the distributed ledger, wherein the transaction comprises transaction data, wherein the transaction data allows an accessing of event data; wherein the transaction data comprises a pointer pointing to original or pre-processed data existing in one or more industrial databases of the at least one industrial device; providing immutable and tamper-resistant event data, event reaction data, control data, or training data for training a machine learning or an artificial intelligence based industrial control system based on the transaction data.