Blockchain network control system and methods

A blockchain network control system, comprising:

• a processor communicatively coupled to a memory and a network interface, the network interface communicatively coupled to a physical network;
• a storage communicatively coupled to the processor, the storage comprising a plurality of network entity definitions (NEDs) each defining a different network entity of a plurality of network entities that make up a target network architecture for a permissioned blockchain network, each network entity of the plurality of network entities being one of:
• an ordering service comprising a plurality of orderer nodes and an ordering membership service provider configured to verify whether signatures on transactions within the permissioned blockchain network were generated by a valid cryptographic identity and issued by the ordering service;
• and
• one of a plurality of organizations, each organization of the plurality of organizations comprising a plurality of peer nodes and an organizational membership service provider configured to verify whether signatures on transactions within the permissioned blockchain network were generated by a valid cryptographic identity within the organization and issued by the organization;
• and
• at least one control object instantiated within the permissioned blockchain network and communicatively coupled, through the permissioned blockchain network, to an ordering service and a plurality of organizations;
• wherein the plurality of organizations was established by the blockchain network control system using the plurality of NEDs by, for each organization of the plurality of organizations:
• instantiating the organizational membership service provider as defined by the NED for the organization;
• for each peer node of the plurality of peer nodes belonging to the organization as defined by the NED:
• registering the peer node with the organizational membership service provider of the organization by providing identifying information specified in the NED for the peer node to the organizational membership service provider;
• enrolling the peer node by generating a cryptographic identity for the peer node using the organizational membership service provider;
• and
• storing the cryptographic identity generated for the peer node;
• instantiating the plurality of peer nodes as defined by the NED;
• wherein the ordering service of the permissioned blockchain network was established by the blockchain network control system by:
• instantiating the ordering membership service provider as defined by the NED for the ordering service;
• for each orderer node of the plurality of orderer nodes belonging to the ordering service as defined by the NED:
• registering the orderer node with the ordering membership service provider by providing identifying information specified in the NED for the orderer node to the ordering membership service provider;
• enrolling the orderer node by generating a cryptographic identity for the orderer node using the ordering membership service provider;
• and
• storing the cryptographic identity generated for the orderer node;
• and
• instantiating the plurality of orderer nodes as defined by the NED.

A method for controlling a permissioned blockchain network, comprising:

• defining the permissioned blockchain network within a blockchain network control (BNC) system, the BNC system having a storage comprising a plurality of network entity definitions (NEDs) each defining a different network entity of a plurality of network entities that make up a target network architecture for the permissioned blockchain network, each network entity of the plurality of network entities being one of:
• an ordering service comprising a plurality of orderer nodes and an ordering membership service provider configured to verify whether signatures on transactions within the permissioned blockchain network were generated by a valid cryptographic identity and issued by the ordering service;
• and
• one of a plurality of organizations, each organization of the plurality of organizations comprising a plurality of peer nodes and an organizational membership service provider configured to verify whether signatures on transactions within the permissioned blockchain network were generated by a valid cryptographic identity within the organization and issued by the organization;
• establishing the plurality of organizations of the permissioned blockchain network using the plurality of NEDs by, for each organization of the plurality of organizations:
• instantiating the organizational membership service provider as defined by the NED for the organization;
• for each peer node of the plurality of peer nodes belonging to the organization as defined by the NED:
• registering the peer node with the organizational membership service provider of the organization by providing identifying information specified in the NED for the peer node to the organizational membership service provider;
• enrolling the peer node by generating a cryptographic identity for the peer node using the organizational membership service provider;
• and
• storing the cryptographic identity generated for the peer node;
• instantiating the plurality of peer nodes as defined by the NED;
• establishing the ordering service of the permissioned blockchain network by:
• instantiating the ordering membership service provider as defined by the NED for the ordering service;
• for each orderer node of the plurality of orderer nodes belonging to the ordering service as defined by the NED:
• registering the orderer node with the ordering membership service provider by providing identifying information specified in the NED for the orderer node to the ordering membership service provider;
• enrolling the orderer node by generating a cryptographic identity for the orderer node using the ordering membership service provider;
• and
• storing the cryptographic identity generated for the orderer node;
• and
• instantiating the plurality of orderer nodes as defined by the NED.