System of metadata-driven rule engine

Technical background and problems:

In modern financial systems, transactions of assets such as currency or securities usually involve multiple intermediaries and complex reconciliation processes, which are inefficient, costly and have security issues.

Blockchain technology provides the potential to solve trust problems through distributed ledger technology (DLT), but traditional blockchain lacks flexibility and complex logic processing capabilities.

Solution Overview:

A system using metadata-driven rule engine on blockchain is proposed, which provides flexible data management and rule definition capabilities through cloud computing environment.

Allow users to define metadata rules in a graphical user interface (GUI), which are then automatically converted into smart contract code and deployed on the blockchain.

System architecture and components:

Blockchain service interface: responsible for interacting with the blockchain and operating the blockchain on behalf of multiple tenants.

Metadata rule definition manager: used to define and create metadata and push it to the blockchain.

Smart contract executor: executes smart contracts on the blockchain, verifies and executes metadata rules.

GUI: an interface provided to users to define metadata rules.

Workflow:

Users define metadata rules through the GUI, which include one or more conditions or criteria that match blockchain transactions.

The system automatically generates smart contract code representing these rules and submits the smart contract to the blockchain for consensus verification.

Once the smart contract reaches consensus, it is added to the blockchain and automatically executed based on the matching transactions.

Data security and verification:

Use smart contracts to verify data records updated to the blockchain to ensure that only data that conforms to metadata rules is allowed to be added to the blockchain.

Support dynamic metadata verification to ensure that data records stored on the blockchain conform to the latest metadata definitions.

Index and retrieval optimization:

Use Merkle tree indexes to improve the efficiency of retrieving data records from the blockchain and avoid traversing the entire blockchain.

Store copies of data records in the index for fast retrieval while maintaining the immutability of data on the blockchain.

Multi-tenant support:

The system supports multiple tenants, each of which has its own data access rights as a participating node on the blockchain.

Allow tenants to define their own metadata rules, which can be shared across tenants or kept private.

Application and extension:

It can be applied to multiple fields such as finance, supply chain management, and healthcare, and improve the flexibility and security of data processing through metadata-driven rule engines.

Support integration with third-party blockchain and cloud service providers to expand the functionality and usability of the system.

What is the core technology of the document?

The core technology of the document is to use a metadata-driven rule engine on the blockchain. The system, combined with a cloud computing environment, allows users to define metadata rules through a graphical user interface, which are then automatically converted into smart contract code and deployed on the blockchain.

How does the system solve the limitations of existing blockchain technology?

The system solves the problem of the lack of flexibility and complex logic processing capabilities of traditional blockchains by introducing a metadata-driven rule engine. It allows users to customize rules and automatically execute these rules on the blockchain through smart contracts, improving the applicability and scalability of blockchain.

What are the main components of the system?

The main components of the system include the blockchain service interface, the metadata rule definition manager, the smart contract executor, and the graphical user interface (GUI). The blockchain service interface is responsible for interacting with the blockchain, the metadata rule definition manager is used to define and create metadata, the smart contract executor executes smart contracts on the blockchain, and the GUI provides an interface for users to define metadata rules.

How do users define metadata rules?

Users define metadata rules through the system's graphical user interface (GUI). These rules include one or more conditions or criteria that match blockchain transactions to determine when to trigger specific actions or verify specific data.

What role do smart contracts play in the system?

Smart contracts play a key role in the system. They are automatically generated to represent user-defined metadata rules. Smart contracts are executed on the blockchain, verifying and executing transactions that match the rules, ensuring that only data that meets the rules is allowed to be added to the blockchain.

How does the system optimize data retrieval efficiency?

The system uses Merkle tree indexes to optimize the efficiency of retrieving data records from the blockchain. By storing copies of data records in the index, the system is able to quickly retrieve data without traversing the entire blockchain, significantly improving retrieval speed and performance.

How does the system support multi-tenant environments?

The system supports multiple tenants, each of which has its own data access rights as a participating node on the blockchain. Tenants can define their own metadata rules, which can be shared across tenants or kept private, providing flexible multi-tenant support and data isolation.

What are the potential application areas of this technology?

The potential application areas of this technology are wide-ranging, including but not limited to finance, supply chain management, healthcare, etc. Through metadata-driven rule engines, these fields can improve the flexibility and security of data processing and achieve more efficient and trusted business processes.