Architecture
Last updated
Last updated
The Tolling.Network architecture is made up of three basic parts. The participant ecosystem, the platform, and the applications that run on the platform. The participant ecosystem includes toll agencies, transit agencies, municipalities, private facility operators, departments of motor vehicles, and suppliers, etc. The platform, accessible through open APIs, is the secure blockchain network and cloud services that support it. The applications include Tolling.Network’s open source interoperability application and future third-party applications.
We built Tolling.Network as a cloud-native solution to leverage the flexibility and scalability of cloud services. However, to accommodate organizations that may not have cloud implementation strategies, the platform can also be run, with some modifications, in an on-site data center. To foster adoption and participation, we developed open APIs for toll interoperability based on the current specifications. The platform is containerized using Kubernetes, runs the blockchain network, document databases, and storage, and it makes use of cloud services to operate with maximum efficiency and scalability.
Tolling.Network uses Hyperledger’s open source blockchain technology to provide a single, shared source of truth for data that's distributed across network nodes, and it does this with an immutable audit trail that ensures transparency for the ecosystem. Tolling.Network is a permissioned network—all participants are cryptographically identified and approved. As a permissioned blockchain network, Tolling.Network doesn't suffer from the computational burdens and inefficiencies of public blockchain networks. Blockchain also provides a secure method for managing membership in the network and access to data by network participants.
The cryptography used in blockchain technology provides secure communications for applications and operational functions. For example, in toll interoperability, the participant toll agencies each host and manage a node on the network. Each node includes the blockchain platform and dedicated blockchain-managed storage. Application data is stored locally in each node and distributed and accessed according to the blockchain network’s rules, or smart contracts. For group communications, the blockchain network employs channels to segregate and secure messages in a consortium. For private communications, data is only shared between the nodes with the appropriate access. This means that private data stays private, even throughout the network’s consensus process.
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