Original link: click to open the link
Summary: Introduction: If you are looking to deploy a blockchain to improve database processes, remember that you do not need to do a complete replacement, let's see how? When deploying a blockchain, there is no need to replace existing databases and related processes, but should be integrated and improved. While blockchain technology can improve DevOps and disintermediate digital and consensus-based information dissemination, proponents of the pilot system also try to suggest that existing processes and traditional databases should be discarded.
Takeaway: If you're looking to deploy blockchain to improve database processes, remember that you don't need a complete replacement, let's see how?
When deploying a blockchain, existing databases and associated processes need not be replaced, but rather should be integrated and improved.
While blockchain technology can improve DevOps and disintermediate digital and consensus-based information dissemination, proponents of the pilot system also try to suggest that existing processes and traditional databases should be discarded.
Over time, businesses build their own approach to operations, which is often tied to their data storage systems and related interfaces. As employees become more familiar with these methods and processes, they become more resistant to radical change, and for good reason: despite the flaws of the existing system, if the company is operating successfully, the system is still basically working.
On the other hand, DevOps are under increasing pressure to share data quickly, reliably and securely - not just between different departments of the same company or international offices, but also with suppliers, partners, Subcontractors and alliance members share data. This pressure is a headache for IT infrastructure administrators and database administrators, for whom blockchain is a very attractive solution.
Unfortunately, talented and experienced blockchain engineers and system architects are expensive and in short supply. Banks and other financial institutions are snapping up the right talent at an alarming rate, while schools have been slow to provide students with the courses and training they need to address skills shortages. So even if you can assemble the right talent pool to solve the data sharing problem, the cost will be very high.
Therefore, businesses should weigh this cost against the benefits of blockchain, which can bring immediate benefits including:
● Disintermediation or disintermediation - The blockchain system does not have a central authority to control everything, which makes it ideal for collaborative operations such as subcontractors, alliances, etc. with a high degree of autonomy.
● Decentralization - each participant or node in the system can carry a complete copy of the shared data. Therefore, there is no single point of failure and no need to worry about DDoS attacks or human error on a given site.
● Protection - In a private blockchain, data can be selectively shared with specific parties through the public key infrastructure in the blockchain. Unlike traditional replication and synchronization products, blockchain allows for selective cryptographic key exchanges to ensure that shared data is accessible to specific participants of the system.
● Real-time replication - While the most common public blockchain system (Bitcoin) has a 10-minute block join time (it takes half an hour or more to get data into the system), private blockchains allow startup The processor chooses its own average block time, allowing for faster transaction settlement. For example, Multichain allows you to specify block generation target times as low as a few seconds.
● Auditability - The basic building block of a blockchain is a linked list of hashes, where each database contains a summary of all previous databases. Therefore, as the data increases, there will be more and more links, and the early data is locked and effectively prevented from being tampered with. The system is open to verification and auditing, which is useful for businesses that need to comply with strict regulations.
In addition, blockchain systems support smart contracts, which are distributed programs that automate workflows between different parties, as well as automation between local assets such as cryptographic tokens or tokens, which may have applications in balancing settlements, accounting or payment.
The question is : Can I integrate and connect my existing ERP and data systems to gain these benefits in a cost-effective manner without requiring a complete overhaul and redesign of my existing systems?
If the existing system is purely paper-based, or relies on database administrators to email each other database dumps or CSV file attachments, then consider replacing the system with blockchain. However, for most people, the current approach should be to integrate and extend existing systems.
The following guides you through proper deployment.
● Start small - you shouldn't move all your database systems and data to the blockchain at once. You need to determine whether the data transfer and sharing is still performed manually or by management and engineers through a special script, and ask, is the script documented and source-controlled? This is a good way to determine the current process Or the reliability of automated scripts. If the answer is no, ask yourself, what happens when the person involved leaves the company?
● Get metrics - The advantage of enhancing the system rather than replacing it is that you can easily measure the impact of the change. For example, in the first few weeks or months, you can record the time saved by manual update operations (processing customer tickets), or the amount reduced by sending emails through improved processes. In contrast, with a complete makeover, it is often difficult to compare before and after.
● Have a plan for expansion and improvement - When you have some successful use cases to present to upper management, it's a good idea to provide metrics as evidence that you will find that this drives change further. At this point, you can start thinking about smart contract workflows or other deeper blockchain capabilities.