Shulou(Shulou.com)06/03 Report--

Original address: http://tech.ifeng.com/a/20180217/44881925_0.shtml

The concept of blockchain is becoming popular with the prosperity of virtual currencies such as Bitcoin. In fact, this technology can also be used in many other fields because of its special design ideas. As a distributed data storage mode with high fault tolerance, what is the difference between block chain and traditional database? To answer this question, we need to look at how they work.

Traditional database

Traditional databases use client-server network architecture. In this structure, the user (or client) can modify the data stored in the central server. Control of the database is retained at the designated authority, which authenticates the user before attempting to access the database. Because the authorized authority is responsible for the management of the database, if the security of the authorized authority is compromised, the data is at risk of being modified or even deleted.

Traditional database

Block chain database

The blockchain database consists of several scattered nodes. Each node participates in data management: all nodes verify the contents of the newly added blockchain and write the new data to the database. For new content to be added to the blockchain, most nodes must agree to write successfully. This consensus mechanism ensures network security and makes it very difficult to tamper with content.

The most intriguing example of blockchain is Bitcoin, where consensus is reached through "mining" (using computers to solve complex hashing problems), while in another famous case, the consensus mechanism is accomplished by equity certification (POS).

Integrity and transparency

One of the major characteristics of blockchain technology which is different from the traditional database technology is that it has public verifiability, which is realized through integrity and transparency.

Integrity: every user can be assured that the data they retrieve will not be corrupted or rewritten from the moment it is recorded.

Transparency: each user can learn and verify how the content of the blockchain changes over time.

CRUD vs read-write operation

In traditional databases, customers can perform four operations on data: create, read, update, and delete (commonly known as CRUD commands).

The block chain can only be increased. Users can only add data in the form of additional blocks, and all previous data is permanently stored and cannot be changed. Therefore, the blockchain can only do the following:

Reading: querying and fetching data with block chain

Write: add more data to the block chain.

Authentication and Writing

Blockchain has these two functions: transaction verification and new deal writing. A transaction is an operation that changes the state of data on a blockchain. The previous entries on the blockchain remains the same forever, while the new entry can change the state of the data in the previous entries. For example, if the blockchain records that I have 1 million bitcoins in my bitcoin wallet, the number is permanently stored in the blockchain. When I spent 200,000 bitcoins, the transaction was also recorded on the blockchain, and I had a balance of 800,000 bitcoins. However, because the blockchain can only continue to grow, the balance of 1 million bitcoins before this transaction remains permanently on the blockchain. This is why blockchains usually refer to immutable distributed ledgers.

In short, the difference lies in decentralized control.

Decentralized control eliminates the risk of centralized control. Anyone with full access to a centralized database can destroy or destroy the data in it, so users rely on the security infrastructure of the database administrator.

Blockchain technology uses decentralized data storage to avoid this problem, thus establishing security in its own structure.

Block chain technology is very suitable for recording some kinds of information, while traditional databases are more suitable for recording other kinds of information. It is critical for each organization to understand what it wants from the database, and we need to determine the strengths and weaknesses of each database before selecting the database.

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