Crypto Academy Week 16 - Homework Post for Professor @pelon53 : TECNOLOGÍA HASHGRAPH
This is my homework for Steemit Crypto Academy Season 2 Week 8 for Professor @pelon53’s lesson TECNOLOGÍA HASHGRAPH.
Note : I performed this task on Windows 10 PC, Google Chrome browser.
1. Gossip Protocol Used in Hashgraph Technology
1.1. A Brief Review
Gossip Protocol is one class among many classes of networking protocol. It is a procedure of computer peer-to-peer communication. The name came from the way the communication run (concept). It is like the way a gossip (rumors) spread: it comes from one person telling another persons something who then tells it to some other persons, and so on. The gossip protocol is sometimes called Epidemic Protocol, because it’s “infecting” everything around it, in this case with information. So, the meaning of the term in practice is: “the protocol to spread information among peer-to-peer computer to all members in the network, so every member record the very same information”.
Gossip Protocol is said to be the answer in dealing with problems in a large computer network (especially distributed-computing). In a large computer network filled with unruly and uncooperative computers, it then becomes a knowledge problem to the operator about the states of another computers (the dead nodes, the live nodes, new data values, and so on). Gossip protocols said to be simple and also robust in concept, and is able to maintain relaxed consistency requirements amongst a very large group of nodes. Like spreading gossip: each node sends out some data to a set of another nodes and so on. Then, like a virus, data propagates through the system node by node. Epidemic. Eventually data spreads to every node in the system.
Why is this protocol said the simple and robust in the concept? Eventhough there are many subtleties involved, one node only has to send to a subset of other nodes. It’s like telling something to some people without worrying about any technical thing. The gossip protocol keeps the nodes synced. It also makes the operations on the nodes scalable and reliable.
1.2. Gossip Protocol in Practice
Every organization that uses the Gossip Protocol can do customization to it, so there are many variants of Gossip Protocol. Might be hundreds. Among projects that use Gossip Protocols are:
- Cassandra. It uses what's called an anti-entropy version of the gossip protocol. It utilizes the protocol for the use of repairing unread data using merkle trees (hash trees).
- Riak. A gossip protocol is used by the technology to share and communicate ring state and bucket properties around the cluster.
- Consul. It uses a gossip protocol to manage membership. It also uses it to broadcast messages to the cluster.
- Meridian. It uses gossip protocol to discover unreachable nodes and put the as a secondary candidate node and replaced with a random secondary candidate node available, to make sure consencus is reached.
1.3. The Use of Gossip Protocol in Hashgraph
Hashgraph is one of the technology that uses a gossip protocol. Hashgraph itself is a consensus algorythm with a more advanced capability than the rest of known consensus algorythm by far. This is the simple way to explain how the gossip protocol works in spreading “the gossip”:
- A node awares of a new information.
- It sends the information to one or several other nodes.
- Any node who becomes aware of new information then send it to another nodes, until every node aware of the information.
Information that spreads between two nodes needs to be synchronized. The synchronization process is called gossip sync. When a gossip sync completed, each participating member commemorates the gossip sync with an event. A historical sequence of the emergence of new information and its distribution to all nodes and the synchronization process and the commemoration is recorded in several hashes, expressing itself as a kind of Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), a graph of hashes, or a hashgraph.
Each event on hashgraph contains the following:
- Timestamp
- Two hashes of two events below itself
- Self-parent
- Other-parent
- Transactions
- Digital signature
2. Byzantine Fault Tolerance in Hashgraph
If Bitcoin as a pioneer in the cryptocurrency world brilliantly implements the Proof of Work algorithm to solve Byzantine Generals’ Problem, then Hashgraph technology, is described by Hedera (currently the only authorized ledger of the patented Hashgraph technology) on their webpage: “Hashgraph is asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerance (aBFT).” Yes, Hashgraph itself is a consensus algorithm. Hedera claims that among all consensus algorithms there are, aBFT has the highest degree of security. In aBFT that finality of consensus will be sucessful if :
- more than 2/3 of the voting power over consensus is free from attack, and
- the assumption is only that messages from an honest node will eventually get through, but make no assumptions about how long it will take to do so.
So, as long as attackers or uncoperative, unruly nodes are less than 1/3 of the voting power consensus, all is fine, the consensus is considered as reached. In this consensus algorithm, all messages from honest node is assumed will get through, regardless the time it takes. Crypto Insight in their article on medium calls aBFT as “a time-independent & future-proof Byzantine Fault Tolerance”.
3. Hashgraph Vs Blockchain
3.1. Comparison Between Hashgraph Vs Blockchain
Based on some sources on the internet, I have made the comparison table between the two technologies:
3.2. Which Technology Would I Choose and Why
Hashgraph as a new technology, referred to itself as the 3rd generation public ledger, therefore, is understandable that it brings and offers many changes that answer to the problems that have been faced in the world of distributed computing, like scalability, fairness, accessibility, cost of transaction, and so on. But Hashgraph also bears it’s weakness, like it is patented while blockchain is open-source. But in comparison, Hashgraph technology promises better operations (in almost every important aspect) for distributed computing systems than the blockchain does. That’s the answer, theoretically, to the why I would choose Hashgraph technology over blockchain.
4. Exploring Hedera Hashgraph Website
Hedera is currently the only authorized ledger to use the Swirlds patented hashgraph technology. Here is the look of it’s website homepage.
When we scroll down we will see a segment where Hedera claims to have been adopted by many big companies around the world including Google, IBM, LG, and BOEING.
Scrolling further down the page, we will see this segmen where Hedera claims itself as The 3rd generation public ledger, and claim that it is better than the first two (Bitcoin and Ethereum), especially in Scalability, Fee, and Transaction Confirmation time.
Below it under that Hedera claims the advantages of Primary Network Services that it has to offer, namely Hedera Consensus and Token Service.
Further below, there is a segment that shows some of the applications that use the Hedera Technology and the link to a brief review of those applications.
Below the “apps segment”, a photo of DR. Leemon Baird, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist, with a quote, “What if everyone on Earth, at any moment, could just wave their hand and carve out a world of their own in cyberspace?”
Hedera claims itself as a public network for everyone, with four main superior aspects:
- Fast. It claims to be faster than the blockchain technology.
- Fair. Malicious nodes will not be able to manipulate the data.
- Secure. The asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant that used by the Hereda Hashgraph technology is best-in-class in securing the technology, it is resistant to DDoS and Sybil Attacks.
- Stable. It is because it runs on a reliable network governed by term-limited enterprises with no authorized fork. It is also able to meet global data regulations.
On the Network Metric segment below that, we are shown network data in numbers.
- Transaction. It shows that in 24 hours prior to the last metric update (June 1st, 2021 – 00:00 UTC) the Hereda Hashgraph processed 4.8 million transaction per day.
- Latency. It shows that it needs about 5.08 seconds for a transaction to reach finality once submitted to the network.
- Accounts. It shows a total number of more that 267 accounts have been created on the network so far.
- API Calls. Based on the cost of US$0.0001 for Consensus – Submit - Message and Crypto – Transfer transaction, the API Calls show 2,318 per HBAR.
Below it we can start creating account on Hedera mainnet Hashgraph, learn further, and build apps.
At the very bottom of the page we can interact furthermore with the website. We can sign up for newsletter, or join social medias, read blogs, and so on.
Basically, the homepage or the frontpage of the website serves the informational, promotional purposes of the Hedera Hashgraph. Now let’s take a look at the menu.
On the upper side of the homepage is the menu bar contains this menus:
- Networks.
- Devs.
- Use Cases.
- HBAR.
- Governance.
- About.
- Get Started, and a
- Search box.
- Networks. This menu is a dropdown list. When the pointer hovers over it, the dropdown opens and show sub menu contains the clickable buttons to services and information.
- Devs. This menu contains submenu of tools and resources that might be useful for developers to build on the Hedera Hashgraph technology.
- Use Cases. This menu contains links to information about payment, tokenized assets, et cetera.
- HBAR. HBAR is the token name of Hedera Hashgraph. And this menu contains links to information realted to monetary function of the technology: 1) overview of Hedera cryptocurrency HBAR, 2) Account Creation, and 3) Wallets and Exchange.
- Governance. This menu does not have sub menu. Clicking on it will open this page: https://hedera.com/council.
- About. It is like a “common button” on any organizational website. It basically contains any information about the organization behind the website.
- Get Started. This menu does not have sub menu. It is a button linked to https://hedera.com/get-started.
- Search box. It is a search box. Type anything we want to find on the website and hit [Enter].
It definitely will take some times to learn the detailed information on the website. This shows the seriousness and readiness of Hedera Hashgraph to become a leader in the next generation of distributed ledger technology. But everyone surely can always hop on to a specific area of information they’d like to study and start there.
Thanks
Thanks very much, Professor @pelon53 for the lesson about TECNOLOGÍA HASHGRAPH.
Pictures Sourcing
- The editorial picture was created by me.
- The Gossip Protocol theory model image re-drawn by me.
- All another pictures were screenshoots and were edited with Photoshop CS 3.
Sources and Reading Suggestion
- https://hedera.com/learning/what-is-gossip-about-gossip;
- https://hedera.com/learning/what-is-hashgraph-consensus;
- https://investopedia.com/terms/h/hashgraph-consensus-mechanism.asp;
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossip_protocol;
- http://highscalability.com/blog/2011/11/14/using-gossip-protocols-for-failure-detection-monitoring-mess.html;
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_tree;
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle_tree;
- https://www.consul.io/docs/architecture/gossip;
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/gossip-protocol;
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_fault;
- https://academy.binance.com/en/articles/byzantine-fault-tolerance-explained;
- https://medium.com/loom-network/understanding-blockchain-fundamentals-part-1-byzantine-fault-tolerance-245f46fe8419;
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashgraph;
- https://hedera.com/learning/what-is-asynchronous-byzantine-fault-tolerance-abft;
- https://medium.com/@crytpol_25852/asynchronous-byzantine-fault-tolerance-a-time-independent-future-proof-byzantine-fault-f6f1a4d1f17a;
- https://help.hedera.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000674097-What-is-aBFT-;
- https://101blockchains.com/hashgraph-vs-blockchain/;
- https://blog.eccouncil.org/hashgraph-vs-blockchain-top-4-differences-you-need-to-know/;
- https://hedera.com/blog/coq-proof-completed-by-carnegie-mellon-professor-confirms-hashgraph-consensus-algorithm-is-asynchronous-byzantine-fault-tolerant;
- https://www.blockchain-council.org/blockchain/a-beginners-guide-hedera-hashgraph-vs-blockchain/;
Shared to Twitter : https://twitter.com/aneukpineung78a/status/1401030458192715792
Gracias por participar en Steemit Crypto Academy:
Muy buen trabajo, faltaron las conclusiones finales. Sin embargo creo que ocurrió un error en algunas captures de pantalla que no se desplegó la ventana.
Espero seguir leyendo tus publicaciones.
Calificación: 9.6
Thanks, Professor.