[Propsoal] Is there any interest in supporting blockchain through Hyperledger Fabric

[Jeff Prickett]

Hello Everyone

The subject says it all. I have an interest in blockchain and thought that
there could be integration of blockchain into Ofbiz.

Would there be interest in creating a persistence layer for Apache Open For
Business that is blockchain based on Hyperledger Fabric. Instead of pulling
data from the SQL back end it would pull from the data from a  Hyperledger
blockchain.

I am asking as someone who would be interested in picking up the mantle to
make it happen.

Thanks in avance
Jeff Prickett

[Pierre Smits-3]

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for picking up this baton and helping to move it further. I have
been pondering a while ago about this and would consider it a benefit for
the feature set of the OFBiz product if such a plugin would be available.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to move it further beyond pondering
about it, nor will I have such time soon.

What I looked at back then, amongst others, was:

   -
   https://developer.ibm.com/technologies/blockchain/tutorials/hyperledger-fabric-java-sdk-for-tls-enabled-fabric-network/
   - https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric-sdk-java



Nevertheless, here were some of my thoughts regarding the subject to get it
started (for me):

   - Have a new plugin that would enable OFBiz to act as a front-end for
   the HyperLedger (Fabric) implementation, throguh using publicly
   available code, like libraries from mavencentral or by using  e.g.
   https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric-sdk-java  (didn't investigate what
   to use further);
   - Store configuration details of the plugin (for the HyperLedger Fabric
   configuration) where possible as SystemProperty records for the component
   - Use data from the OFBiz entities (through service and entity engines)
   to get the HyperLedger configured and running, for/to:
      - enroll the HyperLedger admin;
      - set the user context;
      - set the user enrollment (for the HyperLedger admin) in the user
      context
      - register and enroll appropriate OFBiz parties as the HyperLedger
      users
   - Use the OFBiz plugin to invoke (etc.) the chaincode

Maybe I am wrong in points, but that is as far as I got. I would be happy
though to explore this further.

If you're going to take this further, I am looking forward to seeing your
plugin appear as a repository in Github and help you mature it.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Pierre Smits
*Proud* *contributor** of* Apache OFBiz <https://ofbiz.apache.org/> since
2008 (without privileges)

*Apache Trafodion <https://trafodion.apache.org>, Vice President*
*Apache Directory <https://directory.apache.org>, PMC Member*
Apache Incubator <https://incubator.apache.org>, committer
Apache Steve <https://steve.apache.org>, committer


On Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 12:22 PM Jeff Prickett <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hello Everyone
>
> The subject says it all. I have an interest in blockchain and thought that
> there could be integration of blockchain into Ofbiz.
>
> Would there be interest in creating a persistence layer for Apache Open For
> Business that is blockchain based on Hyperledger Fabric. Instead of pulling
> data from the SQL back end it would pull from the data from a  Hyperledger
> blockchain.
>
> I am asking as someone who would be interested in picking up the mantle to
> make it happen.
>
> Thanks in avance
> Jeff Prickett
>

[Jeff Prickett]

Pierre,
I have been reading some books. I had not thought of the case that
hyperledger could allow you to view the transactions in a generic
hyperledger blockchain. I was thinking more about creating a persistence
layer that would store the data in OfBiz in a hyperledger blockchain
instead of an SQL database, but I like the idea. I have a lot of research
to do yet on how this could work, but hopefully we can someday have a
hyperledger integrated into OfBiz.

Jeff


On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 4:22 AM Pierre Smits <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi Jeff,
>
> Thank you for picking up this baton and helping to move it further. I have
> been pondering a while ago about this and would consider it a benefit for
> the feature set of the OFBiz product if such a plugin would be available.
> Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to move it further beyond pondering
> about it, nor will I have such time soon.
>
> What I looked at back then, amongst others, was:
>
>    -
>
> https://developer.ibm.com/technologies/blockchain/tutorials/hyperledger-fabric-java-sdk-for-tls-enabled-fabric-network/
>    - https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric-sdk-java
>
>
>
> Nevertheless, here were some of my thoughts regarding the subject to get it
> started (for me):
>
>    - Have a new plugin that would enable OFBiz to act as a front-end for
>    the HyperLedger (Fabric) implementation, throguh using publicly
>    available code, like libraries from mavencentral or by using  e.g.
>    https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric-sdk-java  (didn't investigate
> what
>    to use further);
>    - Store configuration details of the plugin (for the HyperLedger Fabric
>    configuration) where possible as SystemProperty records for the
> component
>    - Use data from the OFBiz entities (through service and entity engines)
>    to get the HyperLedger configured and running, for/to:
>       - enroll the HyperLedger admin;
>       - set the user context;
>       - set the user enrollment (for the HyperLedger admin) in the user
>       context
>       - register and enroll appropriate OFBiz parties as the HyperLedger
>       users
>    - Use the OFBiz plugin to invoke (etc.) the chaincode
>
> Maybe I am wrong in points, but that is as far as I got. I would be happy
> though to explore this further.
>
> If you're going to take this further, I am looking forward to seeing your
> plugin appear as a repository in Github and help you mature it.
>
> Met vriendelijke groet,
>
> Pierre Smits
> *Proud* *contributor** of* Apache OFBiz <https://ofbiz.apache.org/> since
> 2008 (without privileges)
>
> *Apache Trafodion <https://trafodion.apache.org>, Vice President*
> *Apache Directory <https://directory.apache.org>, PMC Member*
> Apache Incubator <https://incubator.apache.org>, committer
> Apache Steve <https://steve.apache.org>, committer
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 12:22 PM Jeff Prickett <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> > Hello Everyone
> >
> > The subject says it all. I have an interest in blockchain and thought
> that
> > there could be integration of blockchain into Ofbiz.
> >
> > Would there be interest in creating a persistence layer for Apache Open
> For
> > Business that is blockchain based on Hyperledger Fabric. Instead of
> pulling
> > data from the SQL back end it would pull from the data from a
> Hyperledger
> > blockchain.
> >
> > I am asking as someone who would be interested in picking up the mantle
> to
> > make it happen.
> >
> > Thanks in avance
> > Jeff Prickett
> >
>

[Pierre Smits-3]

Hi Jeff,

I  grok your dream/intention. Think big, start small. The road is long and
starts with the first step.

Given the enormity of the integrations in OFBiz and thus the interwovenness
of data, having transactional data stored in a blockchain should - at the
moment - be complementing current functionality.

It seems to me that using an OFBiz plugin to get the Hyperledger Fabric
configured and started (including the 4 aspects mentioned earlier about the
use of correct party data) would be the easy part.
The next level of difficulty is having the data of an OFBiz transaction
(whatever the transaction) correctly appear in an initiated blockchain.

That is all on the sending end (e.g. company A using OFBiz + the
HyperLedger Fabric Integration plugin).

But then the other aspect of the transaction comes into play: company B
using OFBiz + the HyperLedger Fabric Integration plugin) being on the
receiving end. This company needs to:

   1. match the data in the blockchain about the sender (company A) with
   existing party* records, and
   2. recreate the OFBiz transaction in accordance with its viewpoint of
   the relationship and the transaction (inline with its OFBiz setup, consider
   difference in UoMs, Currencies, etc.)

With blockchain integration the following becomes even more true: it takes
2 to tango.

Like I said: the road is long, but starts with the first step(s).

Met vriendelijke groet,

Pierre Smits
*Proud* *contributor** of* Apache OFBiz <https://ofbiz.apache.org/> since
2008 (without privileges)

*Apache Trafodion <https://trafodion.apache.org>, Vice President*
*Apache Directory <https://directory.apache.org>, PMC Member*
Apache Incubator <https://incubator.apache.org>, committer
Apache Steve <https://steve.apache.org>, committer


On Sun, Jun 28, 2020 at 6:48 AM Jeff Prickett <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Pierre,
> I have been reading some books. I had not thought of the case that
> hyperledger could allow you to view the transactions in a generic
> hyperledger blockchain. I was thinking more about creating a persistence
> layer that would store the data in OfBiz in a hyperledger blockchain
> instead of an SQL database, but I like the idea. I have a lot of research
> to do yet on how this could work, but hopefully we can someday have a
> hyperledger integrated into OfBiz.
>
> Jeff
>
>
> On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 4:22 AM Pierre Smits <[hidden email]>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi Jeff,
> >
> > Thank you for picking up this baton and helping to move it further. I
> have
> > been pondering a while ago about this and would consider it a benefit for
> > the feature set of the OFBiz product if such a plugin would be available.
> > Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to move it further beyond pondering
> > about it, nor will I have such time soon.
> >
> > What I looked at back then, amongst others, was:
> >
> >    -
> >
> >
> https://developer.ibm.com/technologies/blockchain/tutorials/hyperledger-fabric-java-sdk-for-tls-enabled-fabric-network/
> >    - https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric-sdk-java
> >
> >
> >
> > Nevertheless, here were some of my thoughts regarding the subject to get
> it
> > started (for me):
> >
> >    - Have a new plugin that would enable OFBiz to act as a front-end for
> >    the HyperLedger (Fabric) implementation, throguh using publicly
> >    available code, like libraries from mavencentral or by using  e.g.
> >    https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric-sdk-java  (didn't investigate
> > what
> >    to use further);
> >    - Store configuration details of the plugin (for the HyperLedger
> Fabric
> >    configuration) where possible as SystemProperty records for the
> > component
> >    - Use data from the OFBiz entities (through service and entity
> engines)
> >    to get the HyperLedger configured and running, for/to:
> >       - enroll the HyperLedger admin;
> >       - set the user context;
> >       - set the user enrollment (for the HyperLedger admin) in the user
> >       context
> >       - register and enroll appropriate OFBiz parties as the HyperLedger
> >       users
> >    - Use the OFBiz plugin to invoke (etc.) the chaincode
> >
> > Maybe I am wrong in points, but that is as far as I got. I would be happy
> > though to explore this further.
> >
> > If you're going to take this further, I am looking forward to seeing your
> > plugin appear as a repository in Github and help you mature it.
> >
> > Met vriendelijke groet,
> >
> > Pierre Smits
> > *Proud* *contributor** of* Apache OFBiz <https://ofbiz.apache.org/>
> since
> > 2008 (without privileges)
> >
> > *Apache Trafodion <https://trafodion.apache.org>, Vice President*
> > *Apache Directory <https://directory.apache.org>, PMC Member*
> > Apache Incubator <https://incubator.apache.org>, committer
> > Apache Steve <https://steve.apache.org>, committer
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 12:22 PM Jeff Prickett <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> > > Hello Everyone
> > >
> > > The subject says it all. I have an interest in blockchain and thought
> > that
> > > there could be integration of blockchain into Ofbiz.
> > >
> > > Would there be interest in creating a persistence layer for Apache Open
> > For
> > > Business that is blockchain based on Hyperledger Fabric. Instead of
> > pulling
> > > data from the SQL back end it would pull from the data from a
> > Hyperledger
> > > blockchain.
> > >
> > > I am asking as someone who would be interested in picking up the mantle
> > to
> > > make it happen.
> > >
> > > Thanks in avance
> > > Jeff Prickett
> > >
> >
>