Hyperledger Besu As Enterprise-Focused Initiative

• Toshendra Kumar Sharma
• July 14, 2020

In this article, we will learn about Hyperledger Besu- an enterprise-focused initiative that can be run on Ethereum public network or on private permissioned networks and will understand its transition from incubation to active status. 

 

Learning of the Blog

 

• Introduction to Hyperledger Besu
• Key Features of Besu
• Hyperledger- From Incubation to Active Status
• Conclusion

 

Introduction to Hyperledger Besu 

 

It is an open-source Ethereum client developed under the license of Apache 2.0 and uses java programming language. Besu is an enterprise-focused initiative that can be run on either of the networks, i.e., public and private permissioned networks along with test networks such as Rinkeby, Gorli, and Ropsten.  This Java-based Ethereum client was previously known as ‘Pantheon,’ which focuses on providing clean interfaces and modularity. It aims to make Besu an open development and deployment platform. The API of Besu supports Ethereum functionalities such as smart contract development, decentralized applications (DApps) development, and Ether mining.  Its official website defines Hyperledger Besu as one of Ethereum clients’ software that implements the Ethereum protocol.

 

Want to learn and have an in-depth knowledge of Hyperledger? Sign up in Blockchain Council and become a Certified Hyperledger Expert.

 

Key Features of Besu

 

Hyperledger Besu was initially introduced with a goal to reduce barriers to entry for enterprises and to maintain and to scale mainnet.  Now let’s discuss some of its features that make it exceptional from the rest.

 

• Consensus Algorithm- It implements various consensus mechanisms such as PoW(Proof-of-Mining) for mining activities and Proof of Authority, where blocks and transactions are validated using approved accounts(for example, IBFT 2.0 and Clique).

 

 

• Storage: It utilizes a RocksDB key-value database to locally persist chain data.

 

 

• Supports peer-to-peer networking- It implements Ethereum’s devp2p ( set of network protocols that form the Ethereum peer-to-peer network) for inter-client communication and an additional sub-protocol for IBFT2.

 

 

• With Besu, one can monitor node and network performance. >

 

• Permissioning and Privacy Control- Hyperledger Besu is a permissioning network that allows only specified nodes and accounts tom participate. Moreover, it maintains complete privacy as transactions remain private between the participating parties.

 

 

Hyperledger Besu- From Incubation to Active Status

 

Besu joined the Hyperledger umbrella last year in August 2019 under incubation. With an announcement to graduate Hyperledger to active status, the Besu joins other various Hyperledger projects such as Fabric, Indy, Sawtooth, and Iroha with active status in the Hyperledger greenhouse and the only Ethereum- based project that has granted active status.

 

Initially developed by PegaSys, part of ConsenSys, Besu joined the Hyperledger community as an open-source enterprise blockchain solution with an aim to lower barriers to entry for enterprises.

 

It has taken a remarkable step forward in mainstream operability after committee members decided to place Besu as an active project. As an active state, the team believes that Besu meets all of the incubation exit criteria, such as legal requirements, diversity of community requirements, including high-quality documentation and consistent tooling usage. The team focussed on developing Besu as a leading client for the public Ethereum mainnet and permissioned consortium settings.

 

The team explained that they would continue to encourage enterprises, individual contributors, and application developers to explore and support Hyperledger Besu to ensure it continues to evolve to fit their varied purposes. Hyperledger focuses on creating enterprise solutions, and, a commercial ecosystem for those solutions.

 

Daniela Barbosa, VP of worldwide alliances at Hyperledger, stated that “the feedback to Besu has been almost entirely positive. “Overall, it’s been fantastic.”

 

Hyperledger Besu, as an active project, is ensuring that it is meeting Hyperledger’s highest standards, and as it continues to fit for the intersection of Hyperledger and Ethereum, it aspires to profit both the communities.

 

Conclusion 

 

Hyperledger umbrella is one most -discussed topics for blockchain developers and researchers due to its potential to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies. But limitations such as interoperability and integration across blockchain space cannot be overlooked.  Hyperledger has come a long way to eradicate such issues and recently introduced an integration platform, Hyperledger Cactus, which is an integration tool that allows users to securely integrate different blockchains.

 

Due to its security, scalability, and flexibility, Hyperledger has gained a lot of importance. If you want to have an in-depth understanding of all the frameworks of Hyperledger, you can get enrolled in Blockchain Council and become a Certified Hyperledger Expert.

 

To become a hyperledger expert and know more about hyperledger certifications, check out Blockchain Council.