Off-chain Rule Engine for Blockchain Transaction Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blockchain systems face challenges in efficiently validating transactions due to large numbers of business rules that require significant computing resources and may be sensitive in nature, making it difficult to import and invoke these rules within smart contracts, which can lead to inefficiencies and invalid transactions.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a rule engine to validate transactions based on blockchain network validation rules, generating validation certificates, and ensuring only trusted entities can post these certificates to the blockchain, thereby streamlining the validation process and reducing invalid transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If business rules are imported into smart contract/smart filter for validation, then transaction validation reliability is improved, but computing resource expenditure increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex business rule validation logic from the blockchain smart contract environment and places it in an external off-chain rule engine. This separation allows the blockchain to maintain only essential validation functions while delegating computationally intensive rule execution to external systems, thereby reducing on-chain computing resource expenditure while preserving validation reliability through cryptographic proof mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary rule engine that acts as a mediator between transaction submitters and the blockchain network. This intermediary performs comprehensive business rule validation offline and submits only validated transactions to the blockchain, reducing the validation burden on blockchain nodes while maintaining reliability through the intermediary's authoritative validation certificates.
2Reliability
If comprehensive business rules are applied for transaction validation, then transaction integrity is improved, but processing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary validation action by executing comprehensive business rules in an off-chain rule engine before transactions are submitted to the blockchain. Transactions are pre-validated and certified offline, so when they reach the blockchain, only minimal verification is needed, dramatically improving processing speed while maintaining transaction integrity through the preliminary comprehensive check.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the validation process into two distinct phases: comprehensive business rule validation performed offline by the rule engine, and minimal verification performed on-chain by blockchain nodes. This segmentation allows the heavy lifting of integrity verification to occur outside the blockchain's time-critical path, improving processing speed while preserving transaction integrity through the two-stage validation approach.
3Reliability
If sensitive business rules are kept outside blockchain for security, then data security is improved, but rule invocation from blockchain becomes infeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the rule engine as an intermediary that bridges the gap between secure offline rule storage and blockchain validation needs. The rule engine maintains sensitive business rules securely outside the blockchain while providing validation services to the blockchain network through standardized interfaces, enabling rule invocation without compromising data security by keeping the actual rule logic offline.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by having the rule engine generate validation certificates that contain cryptographic proofs of rule compliance. These certificates are copies of validation results that can be verified on-chain without exposing the underlying sensitive business rules. The blockchain verifies copies (certificates) rather than accessing the original sensitive rules, maintaining security while enabling validation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, a system, and a computer program product for validating a transaction. A received request to validate a transaction in accordance with one or more validation rules in a plurality of validation rules is executed. Based on the executed validation request, a validation certificate associated with the transaction is generated. Validity of the validation certificate is determined. The transaction is stored on a blockchain network upon determining that the validation certificate is valid. Storage of the transaction on the blockchain network is prevented upon determination that the validation certificate is invalid.