Design-Centric Parameter-Based Architecture for End-to-End Consensus

Abstract

Implementation of cross-enterprise business processes is complex. The globalization of businesses has resulted in a greater demand for business platforms that provide information security and privacy. In these processes, technological advancements are extensively leveraging automation and simplification. However, most enterprise systems are still centralized and work in silos. The advent of Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) and Smart Contracts is addressing some security and privacy challenges. However, these systems do not provide a perfect balance between end-to-end and cross-enterprise visibility and security. A further challenge is that the consensus/agreement provided by these systems cannot accommodate wider application requirements. The business platforms currently provide agreement at the level of individual messages without considering the context of the business workflow. This paper defines the Design-Centric Consensus (DCC) and information flow security inspired by the literature on information flow models and security protocols. It also identifies the need for multiple levels of consensus based on the application requirements. An architectural framework is also proposed that provides application-specific consensus while maintaining DCC and visibility