Research into Blockchain Technology Impact on Data Network Characteristics
Students Name: Stets Ihor Volodymyrovych
Qualification Level: master (ESP)
Speciality: Telecommunications and Radio Engineering
Institute: Institute of Telecommunications, Radioelectronics and Electronic Engineering
Mode of Study: full
Academic Year: 2022-2023 н.р.
Language of Defence: ukrainian
Abstract: Nowadays, blockchain technology is becoming increasingly popular, as it is a decentralized and immutable digital record system used by many independent parties and can be updated only with their consent [1,2]. This technology is associated with the development and implementation of systems that can be used to confirm the authenticity of an individual and conclude contracts, securely administer networks, store certificates, conduct secure bilateral transactions without the involvement of a third party guarantor, and record the time of a particular transaction. The use of blockchain technology involves a large number of network nodes to solve problems with an additional volume of service traffic and constant data exchange. Due to the significant demand for this technology, the task of analyzing the impact of this technology’s processes on network characteristics to predict traffic behavior and ensure the required quality indicators, as well as the stability of public communication network elements, is relevant. In the last decade, a fairly large number of works by domestic and foreign authors have appeared on the study of blockchain technology, in particular, the works of many scientists consider the application of blockchain technology in various industries [3-5], but it should be noted that a small number of studies consider the direct impact of this technology on the network when changing system parameters, as well as the impact of network effects on the blockchain system. The object of research is a data transmission network using blockchain technology. The subject of research is the impact of blockchain technology on network characteristics. Purpose and objectives of the study. The purpose of the master’s thesis is to study the impact of blockchain technology on network characteristics to improve the efficiency of the process of preparing and modernizing network infrastructure. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were set in this work: 1. to review the features of blockchain technology: prospects for its development, analysis of technical, technological, regulatory and standardization features. 2. to analyze the technological aspects of blockchain systems: components of the blockchain network and chain, scenarios of data exchange between infrastructure objects, the main types of consensus algorithms. 3. to develop an analytical and simulation model of the blockchain network; 4. to study the impact of blockchain technology on the characteristics of the data transmission network based on the analytical and simulation model. Research methods. The methods of system analysis, queuing theory, probability theory, mathematical statistics, and simulation modeling were used in the process of performing the work. The scientific novelty of the obtained results is the development of an analytical model based on the three-stage modeling of the M/M/1, M/H2/1, G/D/1 CMO, which allowed to form analytical dependencies of the time of adding transactions to the blockchain chain on various parameters, which in turn is necessary for analyzing the performance and optimization of blockchain systems, as well as for the optimal design of blockchain solutions, predicting the delay between the end and intermediate nodes of the network. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the use of the developed models to determine the parameters for the preparation and modernization of network infrastructure during the implementation of blockchain technology, which in turn will allow the network to be prepared for the most efficient operation with the required number of devices. The first section discusses the main aspects of blockchain technology, development prospects, historical overview and studies that have shown the relevance and interest of the global community in this technology. The second section discusses the blockchain data structure. The main components of the blockchain system, block structure, transactions, as well as the algorithm and scenario of blockchain technology are described. Different consensus algorithms are analyzed and compared, which allows us to conclude that there is a variety of systems and parameters of the technology. Graphs are presented that evaluate the relationship between the block confirmation time interval and block size on blockchain reliability. In the third section, we develop an analytical model of the studied subsystem that simulates the operation of a network fragment and allows us to evaluate packet delay and other network characteristics. A simulation model of the blockchain system and the network with the introduction of blockchain application traffic is created. In the fourth section, an experimental assessment of the impact of blockchain technology on network characteristics is carried out. Based on the results obtained, it is shown that the network performance depends on the intensity of transactions, while for the correct operation of the blockchain technology of the presented type, it is possible to vary the value of the node intensity and the value of the buffer size. In the fifth section, an economic assessment of the feasibility of developing a network software product for the transmission of multiservice traffic is carried out. Based on the calculations, it is shown that the software product can be implemented and further developed, since it is economically viable in terms of the main technical and economic indicators.