Hyperledger is an open-source collaborative effort hosted by the Linux Foundation to develop enterprise-grade, permissioned blockchain frameworks. It supports various projects like Hyperledger Fabric, Sawtooth, Indy, etc.
To ensure standardized development, Hyperledger has proposed a Reference Architecture — a blueprint that guides the design and implementation of enterprise blockchains.
Hyperledger Reference Architecture (Protocol Overview)
Here’s the architecture diagram based on the Hyperledger white paper:
Explanation of Components
Identity Services
- Manages identities of network participants.
- Uses PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) and digital certificates.
- Provides authentication, authorization, and access control.
Policy Services
- Defines network rules like:
- Access policies
- Consensus rules
- Endorsement policies
- Controls who can do what on the network.
Blockchain & Transactions Layer
This is the core blockchain layer, consisting of:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Consensus | Ensures agreement on transaction order (pluggable algorithms supported). |
| Ledger Store | Stores the blockchain data (immutably) + current world state. |
| P2P Network | Allows communication between all nodes. |
Smart Contracts (Chaincode)
- Business logic written in Go, Node.js, Java.
- Chaincode is deployed in secure containers.
- Smart contracts define how state should change when a transaction is executed.
Additional Protocol Services
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Security & Crypto | Handles encryption, hashing, digital signatures, and identity privacy. |
| Data Store | Pluggable databases like LevelDB or CouchDB for state storage. |
| APIs & SDKs | Used by developers to interact with the blockchain network. |
| Communication | Node-to-node messaging layer, handles gossip and P2P sync. |
Hyperledger Design Principles (Protocol Goals)
| Principle | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Modular Design | Components like consensus, ledger, and crypto are pluggable. |
| Privacy & Confidentiality | Fine-grained data visibility, channels, and encrypted transactions. |
| Scalability | Designed for high throughput, low latency, and enterprise use. |
| Identity Management | Built-in support for PKI and digital identities. |
| Interoperability | Efforts like Hyperledger Quilt support cross-chain compatibility. |
| Portability | Can run on various OS and cloud platforms. |
| Auditability | Maintains immutable logs and change history for audits. |
| Deterministic Txns | Ensures same result regardless of who executes it. |
| Rich Queries | Supports SQL-like queries (esp. with CouchDB state DB). |