Internet DRAFT - draft-yang-usecase-din
draft-yang-usecase-din
DINRG B. Yang
Internet-Draft China Mobile
Intended status: Informational June 30, 2018
Expires: January 1, 2019
Use cases of Blockchain: Application and Interworking
draft-yang-usecase-din-01
Abstract
The purpose of this document is to analyze several important use
cases based on blockchain, including: blockchain based PKI for
security device connection, blockchain as a service, interworking
cross blockchain (exchange data and contracts cross different
chains). Through case analysis, important scenarios and specific
requirements are listed. Related solutions are also provided for
easy understanding.
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Requirements Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3. Terminology and Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4. Use case 1: Secure connection management between devices
using blockchain based PKI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.1. Centralized connected model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.2. Peer-to-peer connection model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.3. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5. Use case 2: Blockchain as a Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
6. Use case 3: Blockchain Interworking . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
8. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
9. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1. Introduction
Blockchain helps to establish cross industry mutual trust and
cooperation, and provides the transmission of value and trust on top
of current information network (i.e., Internet). The following
industries are studying the application of block chains: government,
commerce, industry, finance, insurance, medical, education,
communication, culture and art etc.
Blockchain can play the following role in a company:
o Promoting internal cooperation and optimizing the existing
process, thus improves the production efficiency. Take an
Internet service provider for example, the internal blockchain
that involves product manager, develop team, QA team and service
team, shall be able to trace each service features design,
development and market feedback easily, thus accelerate the
internal productivity.
o Improving the cooperation of eco-system players, to enlarge the
overall benefit. Take Internet service provider for example, by
using blockchain, a service provide shall be able to cooperate
with other other service providers to expand the overall business
based on trust, such as, a social network service provider can
coopertate with content (music, video, online game) providers.
o Expanding business to the whole industry, the whole society and
the world, to form new business models. For example, the social
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network providers shall be able to provide the capbility of user
anthertication to vertical service providers (such as freight,
supply chain, finance, rental).
In this document, several important use cases based on blockchain are
analyzed, including: blockchain based PKI system, blockchain as a
service, interworking cross blockchain (exchange data and contracts
cross chains). For easy understanding, related solutions are also
provided.
2. Requirements Language
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119].
3. Terminology and Abbreviations
The terminology and abbreviations used in this document are defined
in this section.
o H(e)NB: Home (e)NodeB, An eNodeB is an end device of a Radio
Access Network,it performs the same functionality of an eNodeB,
but is deployed for indoor premises or public hotspots, using the
local Internet connection to access operators' network.
o MNO: Mobile Network Operator
o SeGW: Security Gateway, an edge device that is Deployment on the
boundary of an Operator's network, to connect HeNB device
remotely.
4. Use case 1: Secure connection management between devices using
blockchain based PKI
Digital certificates are widely used to negotiate secure channels
between devices and to establish secure connections as defined in RFC
5280 [RFC5280]. Accoding to communication model, there are two
typical sceniaros: multiple devices are connected to the same
centralized node (such as H(e)NBs connected to a MNO's SeGW), peer to
peer connection (such as IoT devices).
4.1. Centralized connected model
Take the H(e)NB scenario for example, H(e)NB is a device that is
installed in the office/home where the radio signal is weak or not
covered by MNOs, to provide mobile network services (such as voice
call, messaging). H(e)NB access MNO's network via local user's
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Internet access (LAN), thus, security solution is needed to authorize
the H(e)NB device and to secure the connection between H(e)NB device
and MNO network border (SeGW), as shown in Figure 1.
+--------+ +--------+ +------+ +----------+
| | / \ | | / \
| | | | | || |
| H(e)NB +---------+ Internet +------+ SeGW ++ Operator's |
| | \ / | || Network |
| | +--------+ | || |
+--------+<===========================>+------+ \ /
Secure Connection Via Cert +----------+
Cert Cert
of CA1 of CA1
^ ^
| |
| +------------+ |
+-------+ CA1 +---------+
+------------+
Figure 1
Because SeGWs belongs to different operation domain, it is not
possible to have them use certificates issued by the same CA, H(e)NB
needs to configure the certificate of the SeGW that it is connected
to accordingly. Two important functions is provided by certificate,
authentication of H(e)NB devices to make sure that it is not a fake
one, and the establishment of secure end to end communication
channels between H(e)NB and SeGW under an unsafe Internet network.
For this reason, the manufacture can not preinstall any certificate
for H(e)NB, the installiation of certificate is needed in the
deploying stage. The workers manually install the certificate into
the H(e)NB. In this way, the following problems occurs: first, the
manually installiation is low efficiency and error-pronel; second,
the certificate may be leaked out by the worker. Whats more,
reconfiguration are needed each time when the certificate is expired
or withdrawn.
The solution is:
o Establish a consortium blockchain, which SHALL be used to verify
and store certificates. H(e)NB manufacturers and operator join
the chain as nodes, which are responsible for certificate
verification and storage.
o A self-signed certificate for each H(e)NB device is generated by
the manufacture when it is produced.
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o This certificate shall be sent to blockchain nodes to be verified.
o The certificate is verified by the verification node.
o The certificate is recorded into the blockchain if the consensus
achieved.
o At the time H(e)NB is installed and powered on, it's certificate
will be used to establish connection to operator's SeGW.
o The SeGW interacts with the operator's blockchain node to verify
the certification.
o If success, the secured connection between SeGW and H(e)NB shall
be established automatically.
o The certificate is also used to idenfity and antenticate the
H(e)NB itself.
Note: Although in this case we uses the operator's H(e)NB scenario,
this solution applies to other similar connection models, such as
home gateway.
4.2. Peer-to-peer connection model
Take IoT scenario for example. Currently, IoT devices always talk to
each other via the network server (such as IoT application server).
For privacy and security consideration, we want IoT devices that
produced by different venders to talk with each other directly in
security. But we can not assume that all these devices be
preinstalled with the certificates issued by the same CA. The
regular solution is to introduce a centralized bridge-CA. The
question is that, the bridge is lack efficiency and extensiblity.
The blockchain provides a better solution:
o Establish a consortium blockchain, which SHALL be used to verify
and store certificates. CAs join the chain as nodes, which are
responsible for certificate verification and storage.
o When a CA issue certificate for a device, the certificate shall be
sent to blockchain nodes to be verified.
o The certificate is verified by the verification node.
o The certificate is recorded into the blockchain if it achieves
consensus.
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o At the time devices need direct connection, they will lookup their
CA's node for centification verificaton.
o If success, the secured connection between devices directly and
automatically.
4.3. Summary
The advantages of usging blockchain based PKI includes:
o High reliability and performance: each node holds a copy of
consistent certificate data, supports multiple duplicates and
parallel queries, and better data consistency.
o Low cost: automatic operation of block chain system, low
maintenance cost; no payment needed for self signed certificate.
5. Use case 2: Blockchain as a Service
The value of blockchain in building a system of trust and
collaboration has been proved by the industry, enterprises and
industries are applying the blockchain. However, not all enterprises
are willing to establish and operate their own blockchain system
because of costs. Therefore, providing blockchain-as-a-service
solution contributes to the rapid popularization of blockchain.
The main requirements for blockchain-as-a-service may include:
o General proposed data format to support different applications,
for storage/verification/resolvation.
o Define flexible, extensible interfaces/APIs that is easy for
programming.
o Enhanced performance for future proof.
6. Use case 3: Blockchain Interworking
According to the current situation of the vertical development of the
blockchain infrastructures and applications, the cross-chain
interworking shall be a very important demand in the future. Cross
chain interoperability involves not only data, but also smart
contracts, security and other aspects.
Two OPTIONAL solutions for blockchain interworking:
o API/Interface invocation based, using interworking gateway.
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o Build a "meta blockchain" to coordinate interworking blockchains
7. IANA Considerations
This memo includes no request to IANA.
8. Security Considerations
TBA
9. Normative References
[RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.
[RFC5280] Cooper, D., Santesson, S., Farrell, S., Boeyen, S.,
Housley, R., and W. Polk, "Internet X.509 Public Key
Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List
(CRL) Profile", RFC 5280, DOI 10.17487/RFC5280, May 2008,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5280>.
Author's Address
Yang Boyle
China Mobile
China
Email: boyxd@hotmail.com
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