Amazon Managed Blockchain is a fully managed service that enables creation of Blockchain based distributed applications, using open source frameworks Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum (coming soon).
What is Blockchain?
Blockchain is a technology that makes it possible to build applications where multiple parties can record transactions without the need for a trusted, central authority to ensure that transactions are verified and secure. Blockchain enables this by establishing a peer-to-peer network (a Blockchain network) where each participant in the network has access to a shared ledger where the transactions are recorded. These transactions are by design, immutable and independently verifiable.
There are three key components of Blockchain network like Hyperledger Fabric:
- Peer components
- Certificate Authority
- Ordering Service
Following diagram shows key components of Hyperledger Fabric Blockchain running Amazon Managed Blockchain:
Image courtesy of AWS
Amazon Managed Blockchain
Amazon Managed Blockchain eliminates the overhead that typically comes with setting up distributed infrastructure by multiple parties participating in the (non-centralized) Blockchain network. The participating members do not need to setup and maintain hardware, software and related security certificates that are key elements of an inherently distributed Blockchain application.
Key Points
- Amazon Managed Blockchain is fully managed service.
- Amazon Managed Blockchain is highly scalable.
- Using API, you can easily create new nodes
- Supports two frameworks:
- Hyperledger Fabric – open source framework from Linux Foundation
- Ethereum (coming soon)
- Participating members can be from within the same AWS Account, or other Accounts.
- It supports voting mechanism (via API) to allow existing members to collectively approve or reject addition of new members (or removal of existing ones).
- Amazon Managed Blockchain uses KMS to handle certificate management.
- Amazon Managed Blockchain provides (VPC) Endpoints for secure and easy access.
- Amazon Managed Blockchain leverages Amazon QLDB for ordering service to provide immutable change long and complete history of transactions.
Amazon Managed Blockchain Editions
Amazon Managed Blockchain offers two different network types
Starter Edition
- Designed for test networks, or small production networks
- Maximum of 5 members per network
- Maximum of 2 peer nodes per member
- Node types available: bc.t3.small, bc.t3.medium
- Ordering service has lower transaction throughput, and availability
Standard Edition
- Designed for production networks
- Maximum of 14 members per network
- Maximum of 3 peer nodes per member
- Node types available: bc.t3, bc.m5, bc.c5
- Ordering service has higher transaction throughput, and availability
Amazon Managed Blockchain vs QLDB
Amazon Managed Blockchain provides conventional Blockchain network service. In this case the Authority is distributed in nature, rather than being centralized.
QLDB is not a blockchain or distributed ledger. QLDB has similar purpose, but is created for centralized authority as compared to blockchain / distributed ledgers which are designed for decentralizing the authority.
Pricing
Amazon Managed Blockchain is charged for following components:
- Membership – per hour
- Includes cost for Certificate Authority
- Different rate for the two editions
- Peer Node (compute) – per hour (based on instance type)
- Billed based on seconds (minimum 1 minute)
- Different rate for the two editions
- Peer Node (storage) – per GB per month
- Data Written (to Blockchain network) – per GB
- Data Transfer – the standard AWS data transfer rates apply for data transferred in and out of Amazon Managed Blockchain
External Resources
