API
The SIMBA platform auto-generates Representational State Transfer (REST) APIs, This provides REST-based access to smart contract methods that transact on the blockchain ledger and enables access control groups for reading or writing. Learn more about REST APIs.
Each API endpoint allows multiple data files to be attached and stored off-chain in a data store. Data comes into the system as multipart attachments to the REST endpoints, which are then checked for access before being passed to a special data bundling mechanism. The bundling algorithm stores all files into the data store and generates hashcodes for aggregation into a manifest file, which is stored in the data store, with its hashcode bound on the blockchain to guarantee the integrity of the data input into the system.
Blockchain
SIMBA provides a generic API to multiple blockchain systems so the system does not have a dependency on a single blockchain or distributed ledger technology.
SIMBA currently supports Ethereum and Quorum with Stellar being added soon. Many more are on the roadmap.
Although SIMBA Chain is proprietary, we will soon release a code generation capability that auto-generates source code that binds to the specific blockchain system and data store a user has configured.
Currently Supported Blockchains
– Coming Soon –
DECENTRALIZED
No single point of control which means there is no singe point of failure.
IMMUTABLE
Once data is stored, it can’t be tampered with, changed or deleted.
CUSTOMIZABLE
Bring your own logic, our platform auto-generates your custom API.
LOW LATENCY
SIMBA uses Microsoft Azure Government for rapid transactions.
See SIMBA Blockchain in Action!
View our Car Demo App, see how it works, and download the source code
Smart Contracts
Smart Contracts provide the interface and business logic to what is written on the blockchain. They also control what rules need to be met for successful write operations to take place.
In the SIMBA Chain platform, smart contracts are automatically generated through a simple interface. Users add assets or transactions along with their methods and parameters, and SIMBA Chain automatically generates the smart contract.
Data Stores
Data Stores in SIMBA use the same adapter pattern as the blockchain (single generic REST interface), and can support the simple integration of different data stores. Currently SIMBA supports the Ceph, IPFS and flat-file-system-based data stores, and are currently testing Tahoe and Microsoft Azure Blob Storage.
Data flows into the system by attaching one or multiple files to the transaction. Transactions are then checked for access before being passed to the data bundling mechanism, which stores all files into the data store and collects each hashcode into a JSON manifest file.
The manifest is then stored into the data store and its hashcode is stored onto the blockchain. Using this mechanism, the system can easily retrieve all files by first retrieving the manifest, and then using each hashcode to retrieve the files. The hash also serves as a digest to guarantee the integrity of the data.
Currently Supported Data Stores
– Coming Soon –
Wallets
A private key of a Wallet is required to sign a transaction. SIMBA Chain doesn’t store user’s private keys. Instead, we provide a callback mechanism that allows the developer’s application to sign transactions on behalf of their users. When a transaction request is made on SIMBA using the app API, it sends it to the blockchain adapter to generate the transaction payload. This payload is then returned to the sender for signing.
Along with the transaction payload the headers include the external user ID so users in the developer’s external system can be extracted and their private key applied to the transaction, for signing. This signed transaction is returned to SIMBA for submission to the blockchain.
Access Controls
SIMBA Chain provides core Access Control functionality to define rules on who has read and write access to each smart contract method. It also defines separate access policies for blockchain access and for data store access.
Using this mechanism, you could enable a permissioned file store with a public blockchain or you could make both permission using a private blockchain and data store.