Blockchain Multi-Chain Storage Model for Industrial Internet of Things

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Blockchain Multi-Chain Storage Model for Industrial Internet of Things

Introduction

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has become a critical component in modern industrial automation, integrating smart devices, machinery, and infrastructure to streamline data collection, exchange, and analysis. However, the increasing number of connected devices introduces challenges in scalability, security, and data management. Traditional IIoT models rely on centralized data centers, which are vulnerable to cyberattacks, data tampering, and inefficiencies in handling high-throughput data streams.

Blockchain technology offers a decentralized solution with traceability and immutability, making it suitable for secure IIoT data storage and sharing. However, conventional single-chain blockchain architectures suffer from low throughput, poor scalability, and limited data isolation capabilities. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a multi-chain blockchain storage model tailored for IIoT environments. The model employs parallel blockchains for data processing, enhances cryptographic security with hybrid encryption (SM2 and SM4), and introduces a relay chain for cross-chain communication.

Background

Blockchain in IIoT

Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that ensures data integrity through cryptographic hashing, consensus mechanisms, and decentralized validation. In IIoT, blockchain can prevent unauthorized access, tampering, and misuse of sensor-generated data. However, single-chain blockchains face bottlenecks in transaction processing, as all transactions are sequentially executed, limiting scalability.

Cross-Chain Technologies

To enable interoperability between multiple blockchains, cross-chain mechanisms are essential. Common approaches include:

  1. Notary Schemes: Trusted intermediaries validate cross-chain transactions.
  2. Sidechains/Relay Chains: Independent chains communicate via a relay chain that records interactions without storing node data.
  3. Hash Time-Locking: Uses smart contracts to lock assets until transaction conditions are met.

This paper adopts a relay chain approach to facilitate secure and efficient data exchange between IIoT blockchains.

Cryptographic Algorithms

  1. SM2 Algorithm: A Chinese national standard for asymmetric encryption, offering high security with shorter key lengths.
  2. SM4 Algorithm: A symmetric encryption standard optimized for fast encryption/decryption.

The proposed model combines SM2 and SM4 in a hybrid encryption scheme to balance security and performance.

System Model

The multi-chain storage model organizes IIoT devices into data-privacy-based groups, each maintaining a dedicated consortium blockchain. Key components include:

  1. Edge Server Clusters: Collect and preprocess data from IIoT devices.
  2. Database Clusters: Store raw sensor data off-chain.
  3. Consortium Blockchains: Store hashed data summaries for integrity verification.
  4. Relay Chain: Facilitates cross-chain requests and logs transaction records.

Data Storage Workflow

  1. Data Collection: Edge servers format sensor data and store it in databases.
  2. Hash Generation: A cryptographic hash of the data is computed and stored on the consortium blockchain.
  3. Cross-Chain Requests: If data from another group is needed, the request is routed through the relay chain after authentication.

Data Formats

  1. IIoT Data Format: Includes device ID, timestamp, privacy level, and content.
  2. Cross-Chain Request Format: Contains requester ID, responder ID, transaction timestamp, and confirmation flag.

Implementation

Multi-Chain Architecture

• Parallel Processing: Multiple blockchains handle transactions concurrently, improving throughput.

• Physical Data Isolation: Different blockchains store data based on privacy levels, preventing unauthorized access.

Enhanced SM2 Algorithm

The model improves SM2 by:

  1. Eliminating Certificate Authentication: Reduces overhead by using multiple Key Generation Centers (KGCs) for distributed key management.
  2. Multi-KGC Participation: Enhances security by involving multiple KGCs in key generation.

Hybrid Encryption (SM2 + SM4)

  1. SM2 for Key Exchange: Securely transmits session keys.
  2. SM4 for Data Encryption: Encrypts bulk data efficiently.

Encryption Workflow:

  1. The sender retrieves the recipient’s public key from the relay chain.
  2. A random SM4 key is generated to encrypt the data.
  3. The SM4 key is encrypted with the recipient’s SM2 public key.
  4. The encrypted data and key are transmitted.

Decryption Workflow:

  1. The recipient decrypts the SM4 key using their SM2 private key.
  2. The SM4 key decrypts the data payload.

Security and Performance Analysis

Security Analysis

  1. Data Confidentiality: Cross-chain requests are authenticated, and unauthorized access is prevented.
  2. Data Privacy: Physical isolation ensures sensitive data remains within authorized groups.
  3. Data Integrity: Hash-based verification detects tampering.

Performance Evaluation

  1. Throughput (TPS): Multi-chain systems outperform single-chain architectures, with throughput scaling linearly as more chains are added.
  2. Latency: Cross-chain transactions introduce minor delays, but the system stabilizes as the number of chains increases.
  3. Encryption Overhead: The hybrid approach reduces computational costs compared to pure SM2 encryption.

Comparative Analysis

Compared to existing solutions, the proposed model excels in:

  1. Flexibility: Supports dynamic data access policies.
  2. Security: Combines multi-chain isolation with robust encryption.
  3. Scalability: Parallel processing accommodates high-throughput IIoT environments.
  4. Data Classification: Granular privacy levels enable precise access control.

Conclusion

This paper presents a multi-chain blockchain storage model for IIoT that addresses scalability, security, and data isolation challenges. By leveraging parallel blockchains, a relay chain, and hybrid encryption, the model significantly improves throughput while ensuring data integrity and confidentiality. Future work will explore optimized off-chain storage solutions to further enhance efficiency.

doi.org/10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2024.03.0106

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