Block Edge Computing: Blockchain-Edge Platform for Industrial IoT Networking

The rapid growth of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) architecture presents a unique scope for developing a broad field of networking to connect multiple interconnected nodes to the Internet. The majority of current IIoT technologies are focused on unified architecture, which is easier to maintain but cannot leverage to facilitate immutable and verifiable networks between different groups. The blockchain framework is built on many desirable features for large-scale IIoT technologies, such as centralization, reliability, tracking ability, and immutability. This chapter proposes an IIoT blockchain-based infrastructure designed to encourage unchanging and empirical transactions. Nevertheless, while abandoning blockchain technology to the IIoT framework, the necessary storage space is subject to a subsidizing challenge to the cluster-based IIoT architecture. The proposed frame has a centralized storage structure where most of the blockchain settles into clouds, such as Global, Fog, and Edge. Nearly all notable nodes are processed in the superimposed network of independent industrial IoT networks. The proposed framework constantly links low-level IIoT networks, blockchain overlay networks, and combined cloud architecture through two connectors. The blockchain interface and fog interface port are interconnected for continuous data transmission. The blockchain interface in the stacked network extends blockchain blocks from the information gathered in IIoT nodes. And the cloud interface reconciles the constraints of optimizing the blockchain between the overlay network and the clouds. This is a test case to be provided to demonstrate the efficiency of the Edge Central Network Repository proposed in a practical example of IIoT.