Nodes in Blockchain

iLabs
3 min readOct 29, 2020

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Kishanthan Moorthy | Developer @ iLabs

Somehow we all know about the client-server model. Most of the applications working on this model because this provides access to shared resources. The server has more main resources than the client requesting to access the resources so multiple clients can access multiple data resources. So, one main server provides centralized services so this kind of model application we called centralized applications.

But here all clients are depending on the main servers if the main server crash all client networks will be destroyed. There is an idiom I was heard “Don’t put all eggs into one basket”. This is the main problem and vulnerability for this model. so somehow we have to find the solution for this defect. For that thing decentralization thought came here. Why? we always depending on others everyone has the capability so everyone can provide the service.

For this situation, the client becomes a server at the same time doing client works. this model we called a peer-to-peer network to expand the decentralized networks. yeah right.. Blockchain main concept is decentralization

Then why Nodes??

The decentralization model hasn’t servers or clients because both works are done by one person that person has a special name called Node. The main purpose of the node is to implement and operating the blockchain. So, we will see each ability in the node.

The node-based network has some characteristics communicating with each other, messaging, transfer some information, acting as storage, and provide some security features. This is are applicable for the blockchain too.

First storage; each node most of the time maintains a copy of the blockchain. so every node can maintain an immutable blockchain. It can help to create a block and update the blockchain ledger.

Blockchain most of the time coverup the financial sector. Some other sectors are there but valuable securable and immutable information in the finance sector. We have a famous example called bitcoin. Nodes have the ability to transfer somethings and maintain those things too. Now we got an idea about bitcoin transactions.

Nodes are doing guardian work for a blockchain to secure that. it protects the blockchain from external attacks. Most of the time nodes represent entities or users so by default it provides production from misconfigurations, phishing, and malware.

Node Groups

Now we have several frameworks for blockchain. Every framework is different from another one in their technology and functionality. For this differentiation nodes also doing some different kinds of works that will create an identity for that node.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, R3 Corda, Hyperleder Fabric, Openchain are some famous blockchain platforms. First platform bitcoin; there are three types of nodes Miner nodes, full nodes, light nodes. Minier nodes are doing a mining process that means create a block and add into the blockchain, full nodes are maintaining the copies of the entire blockchain, light nodes are representing the entity, communicating, doing transactions, and doing full nodes works too.

Next, the Ethereum platform here full nodes, light nodes, Archive nodes are there. Here, archive nodes conduct the mining process but that mining process different from bitcoin mining. Then R3 Corda here participating nodes; these are doing transactions and store the blockchain and Notary pool nodes validating the transactions. And finally, Hyperledger here Client nodes submit the transactions. broadcast the transactions proposal, peer node commits the transaction and maintains the states in the blockchain. Ordering nodes run the communicating service that implements a delivery service. Now we got an understanding of Nodes participation in blockchain

Originally published at https://kishokishanthan.medium.com on October 29, 2020.

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