A Hierarchical and Location-Aware Consensus Protocol for IoT-Blockchain Applications

Blockchain-based IoT systems can manage devices and achieve a high level of data integrity, security, provenance. However, incorporating existing consensus protocols in many limits scalability leads to computational cost latency. In addition, location-centric characteristics applications paired with limited storage computing power bring about more limitations, primarily due the location-agnostic designs blockchains. We propose hierarchical location-aware protocol (LH-Raft) for IoT-blockchain inspired by original Raft address these limitations. The proposed LH-Raft forms local candidate groups based on nodes' reputation distance elect leaders each sub-layer blockchain. It utilizes threshold signature scheme reach global log replication maintain consistency blockchain transactions. To evaluate performance LH-Raft, we first conduct an extensive numerical analysis mechanism group formation model. then compare against classical from both theoretical experimental perspectives. using Hyperledger Ursa cryptography library measure various signing verification time. Experimental results show that is scalable large significantly reduces communication cost, latency, agreement time processing.