Advisory Committee Chair
Yuliang Zheng
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2024
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Blockchains offer an alternative approach to centralized systems for data and record storage by using independently operated nodes in a distributed and decentralized network. Within a blockchain network, each node maintains an identical version of all data, without being directly controlled or managed by any centralized entity. Nodes maintain the synchronization of data through the network's consensus mechanism, a protocol built into the nodes to determine which node is given the right to append data to the network. Once chosen, the data added by the node is propagated to other nodes which update their local records to maintain synchronization. Common consensus mechanisms used fall into the categories of Proof of Work (PoW), Proof of Stake (PoS), and committee-based Byzantine Agreement (BA), each with their own respective strengths and weaknesses. Problems with consensus mechanisms can lead to scalability issues which can impact widespread adoption. This thesis proposes the Federated Advanced Work Adversarial Consensus (FAWAC) architecture as a novel blockchain network design using a multi-enclave, committee-based consensus mechanism that is energy efficient, resistant to centralization and achieves fast transaction processing. FAWAC incorporates components of PoW, PoS and BA in an interconnected multi-chain structure which capitalizes on the security benefits of PoW, and the speed benefits of PoS and BA. Energy inefficiency and centralization concerns are minimized through a novel approach for committee selection which uses the completion of useful work jobs as a substitute for traditional computational puzzles used by PoW without slowing down transaction processing. The enclaves are interconnected via a shared back end utilizing the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) connections on participating nodes which actively monitor both enclaves.
Recommended Citation
Adams, Shawn C., "Multi-Enclave Blockchain Architecture Integrating Useful Work For Member Selection In Committee-Based Consensus" (2024). All ETDs from UAB. 3884.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3884