MonitorChain: An Extensible Tool for Real-Time Monitoring of Blockchain-Based Software Applications

Support tools that monitor software application processes are required to identify, measure, and assess their performance and resolve any anomalies that impede their full functionality. Similarly, applications that use blockchain technology require analysis and monitoring tools for the resources and functionality provided by their smart contracts. This paper presents a computational tool that monitors hardware resources and evaluates transaction processing requests in blockchain networks. The solution presented here is called MonitorChain, and it has software components that allow the connection with different blockchain networks, the configuration of the workload, the monitoring of consumed hardware resources, and the evaluation of requests processed over blockchain networks. The effectiveness and adaptability of MonitorChain were validated through extensive evaluations across various blockchain environments, including public networks like Ethereum, Avalanche, and Fantom, as well as a private network using Hyperledger Fabric, with a consistent data load of 10,000 transactions. Additionally, through interviews with experienced software developers, we gathered feedback that led to further refinements and identified opportunities for future enhancements. The results demonstrated MonitorChain’s capability to provide critical insights into blockchain applications’ performance, scalability, and efficiency. MonitorChain advances the field compared to existing solutions by offering enhanced support for diverse networks, customizable workloads, and real-time data visualization, contributing significantly to the blockchain monitoring landscape.