Decentralized Storage Based on a Blockchain

Current distributed storage solutions often rely on a few centralized cloud servers, posing significant risks such as data loss, leaks, and tampering. To address these vulnerabilities, exploring decentralized storage systems is crucial. Maintaining data consistency in such environments has been a challenge until the advent of blockchain technology, known for its decentralized, tamper-proof, and traceable features, offering a promising solution. In this study, we've devised a decentralized storage framework by merging Hyperledger Fabric and the Inter Planetary File System (IPFS). Our focus extends to enhancing the security and availability of this decentralized storage system. We delve into partitioning techniques and a k-r allocation scheme for stored data. We propose an allocation function for managing stored files and derive a mathematical formula to quantify file security and availability based on this function. Additionally, we explore optimal parameter settings within the allocation function, ensuring robust security and availability of stored files. Our experimental findings indicate that the k- r allocation policy emphasizing the minimum number of nodes (MNN) outperforms the policy based on the minimum slices number (MSN). However, while both policies ensure comparable security and availability, the MNN policy results in a higher number of copies, potentially leading to a relatively inefficient utilization of storage space.