A Cluster enabled Blockchain-based Data management for IoT systems

Abstract

Internet of Things a flourishing societal luxury has seen massive evolutionary trends that have revolutionized the need for secure and competent data management schemes. Data Privacy, trust, and security in the IoT environment are essential matters that need confronting, especially when gathered data is prone to malicious attacks or activities. Moreso, latency requirements that rise exponentially with each added device necessitate effective management in order to meet expected Quality of Service standards. Blockchain-based IoT, a paradigm that decentralizes IoT’s topology has earned growing popularity over the years owing to its versatility, however, most works on Blockchain-based IoT focus on perspectives such as digital currencies, consensus algorithms, and smart contracts, with very few delving into Blockchain’s role in data management. Therefore, to solve the above-mentioned problems, this study proposes a three-tiered scheme, incorporating aspects of clustering, Edge-Computing, and Blockchain, that focuses on data management mechanism of the Blockchain architecture and data structure. The three-tiered framework aims to provide a decentralised, secure resource optimization and data management mechanism for IoT systems that includes permissioned authentication protocol for all nodes of contention, smart contract generation between permissioned nodes, immutable block transactions and node deployment, not limited or bound by a singular node. The first phase of the methodology presenting the framework paves way for the second phase of the methodology which evaluates and analyses the proposed scheme, thus illustrating how clustering, blockchain and edge computing bring about an efficient paradigm for tamper-resistant data management with improved latency and high-level credibility and security suitable for IoT systems.