# US 2019/0318338 A1 · Network node management on a blockchain > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0318338 A1 - Document ID: US20190318338A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/952,892 - Filed: 2018-04-13 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-13 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Shalaka Verma; Sarvesh Patel; Kushal Patel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190318338A1 ## CPC - G06Q 20/223: {based on the use of peer-to-peer networks} - H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees} - G06F 16/24568: {Data stream processing; Continuous queries} - G06Q 20/02: involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP] - G06Q 20/0655: {e-cash managed centrally} - G06Q 20/12: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - H04L 9/0637: {Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]} - H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD} - H04L 67/104: Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks - G06F 16/1774: {Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files} - G06Q 2220/00: Business processing using cryptography - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An example operation may include one or more of identifying application instances in a cluster group, receiving a request to perform a consensus decision regarding ownership of the cluster group via peer nodes of a blockchain, identifying individual consensus decision votes from the peer nodes, and performing the consensus decision based on the individual consensus decision votes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: identifying a plurality of application instances in a cluster group; receiving a request to perform a consensus decision regarding ownership of the cluster group via peer nodes of a blockchain; identifying individual consensus decision votes from the peer nodes; and performing the consensus decision based on the individual consensus decision votes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the plurality of application instances are registered on the blockchain; and responsive to determining the plurality of application instances are registered on the blockchain, performing the consensus decision. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a quorum of the plurality of application instances have reached consensus regarding the ownership of the cluster group; and granting the ownership of the cluster group to the quorum of the plurality of application instances. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: responsive to determining the quorum of the plurality of application instances have been reached, locking one or more disks used by the plurality of application instances; and granting access of the one or more disks to the quorum of the plurality of application instances. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining one or more of the peer nodes of the cluster group has failed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: reforming the cluster group with available ones of the one or more peer nodes based on the consensus decision. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: transmitting an update transaction comprising reformed cluster group information to the blockchain; and storing the update transaction on the blockchain. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: a processor configured to identify a plurality of application instances in a cluster group; a receiver configured to receive a request to perform a consensus decision regarding ownership of the cluster group via peer nodes of a blockchain; and wherein the processor is further configured to: identify individual consensus decision votes from the peer nodes; and perform the consensus decision based on the individual consensus decision votes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine the plurality of application instances are registered on the blockchain; and responsive to a determination that the plurality of application instances are registered on the blockchain, perform the consensus decision. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a quorum of the plurality of application instances have reached consensus regarding the ownership of the cluster group; and grant the ownership of the cluster group to the quorum of the plurality of application instances. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: responsive to a determination that the quorum of the plurality of application instances have been reached, lock one or more disks used by the plurality of application instances; and grant access of the one or more disks to the quorum of the plurality of application instances. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine one or more of the peer nodes of the cluster group has failed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to reform the cluster group with available ones of the one or more peer nodes based on the consensus decision. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a transmitter is further configured to transmit an update transaction comprising reformed cluster group information to the blockchain; and the processor is further configured to store the update transaction on the blockchain. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform: identifying a plurality of application instances in a cluster group; receiving a request to perform a consensus decision regarding ownership of the cluster group via peer nodes of a blockchain; identifying individual consensus decision votes from the peer nodes; and performing the consensus decision based on the individual consensus decision votes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: determining the plurality of application instances are registered on the blockchain; and responsive to determining the plurality of application instances are registered on the blockchain, performing the consensus decision. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: determining a quorum of the plurality of application instances have reached consensus regarding the ownership of the cluster group; and granting the ownership of the cluster group to the quorum of the plurality of application instances. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: responsive to determining the quorum of the plurality of application instances have been reached, locking one or more disks used by the plurality of application instances; and granting access of the one or more disks to the quorum of the plurality of application instances. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: determining one or more of the peer nodes of the cluster group has failed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: reforming the cluster group with available ones of the one or more peer nodes based on the consensus decision; transmitting an update transaction comprising reformed cluster group information to the blockchain; and storing the update transaction on the blockchain.