- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Requirements and Installation
- Architecture
- Setting up the Project (Deploying Locally)
- Setting up the Project (Deploying on College Servers)
- Starting the Project
- Using the Chat Application
- Stopping the Network and Servers
- Issues
- Contact Details
Aatmanirabhar Sanchar chat application aims to remove the need of central servers for communication without sacrificing safety and security. This is achieved by using a private blockchain framework Hyperledger Fabric. This chat application aims to achieves secure communication of text and other types of media (mp3, mp4, zip, etc) without using any third-party software like AWS.
Version Used: Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS (Flexible)
Lab PC with IP: 192.168.32.70 (hpc4)
Installation of Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS can be done by following the steps mentioned in the official documentation.
Version Used: v16.20.2 (Required)
The current frontend depends on this version of node.js. New versions of node have some changes in webkit which breaks the current version of frontend. So, if you wish to updgrade node you will have to update the frontend accordingly. Installation of Node.js can be done by following the steps mentioned below.
# installs NVM (Node Version Manager)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
# download and install Node.js
nvm install 16
node -v # should print `v16.20.2`
npm -v # should print `v8.19.4`Version Used: 2.34.1 (Flexible)
Installation of Git can be done by following the steps mentioned in the official documentation.
Version Used: 26.0.1 (Flexible)
Installation of Docker can be done by following the steps mentioned in the official documentation.
Makes sure to also follow the post-installation steps.
git clone https://github.com/VESIT-CMPN-Projects/2023-24-BE48Or download the zip file.
Version Used: latest
We need to install two things for Hyperledger Fabric:
- Hyperledger Fabric binaries
- Hyperledger Fabric docker images
To do this Hyperledger Fabric provides us with a installation script.
cd 2023-24-BE48
curl -sSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hyperledger/fabric/main/scripts/install-fabric.sh && chmod +x install-fabric.sh
./install-fabric.sh d bThis will install the latest version of Hyperledger Fabric binaries and docker images.
To check the docker images installed, run the following command:
docker imagesThe output should be similar to this:
The binaries and other files will be installed in three directories:
bin, builders and config. If you look into the Network directory you will find these three directories already there. Make sure to replace these directories with the new ones that are in the root directory of the project.
# Assuming you are in the root directory of the project i.e. 2023-24-BE48
cp -r bin builders config Network/
The installation of Hyperledger Fabric is now complete.
IPFS will handle all the file transfers in the chat application. To install IPFS, follow the steps mentioned below.
Go here for latest version or follow the steps below - IPFS Kubo
# From Home Directory
# Download the IPFS tar file
wget https://dist.ipfs.tech/kubo/v0.28.0/kubo_v0.28.0_linux-amd64.tar.gz
# Extract the tar file
tar -xvzf kubo_v0.28.0_linux-amd64.tar.gz
cd kubo
# Move the IPFS binary to /usr/local/bin
sudo bash install.sh
# Check if IPFS is installed
ipfs --version
# Initialize IPFS
ipfs initRemove Bootstrap nodes
# From Home directory move to .ipfs directory
cd .ipfs
# Edit configuration file for IPFS
nano configMake sure to remove all the addresses in the Bootstrap list.
Now, save the file using Ctrl + S and Ctrl + X.
This step is necessary otherwise we fall into some CORS Issue
ipfs config --json API.HTTPHeaders.Access-Control-Allow-Origin "[\"*\"]"
ipfs config --json API.HTTPHeaders.Access-Control-Allow-Credentials "[\"true\"]"To start ipfs we need to start the daemon.
ipfs daemonHowever, this takes up an entire terminal window. To run it in the background, we will create a systemd service. CTRL + C to stop the daemon.
# Create a systemd service
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/ipfs-node.serviceAdd the following content to the file:
[Unit]
Description=IPFS Node
After=network.target
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/ipfs daemon
ExecReload=/usr/local/bin/ipfs daemon
Restart=on-failure
User=ubuntu # Change this to your username
Group=ubuntu # Change this to your group
[Install]
WantedBy=default.targetMake sure to change the
UserandGroupto your username and group.Hence, in my case, the username and group are
krish. For the lab PC the username and group arehpc4.
Now, save the file using Ctrl + S and Ctrl + X.
Once, the file is saved, we need to reload the systemd daemon and start the IPFS service.
# Reload the systemd daemon
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start ipfs-node
# Check the status of the service
sudo systemctl status ipfs-nodeIf the service is running, you should see the following output:
For now we will stop the service. Run the following command:
sudo systemctl stop ipfs-nodeThe installation of IPFS is now complete. For deeper understanding refer this video.
Version Used: v7.0.8 (Flexible)
Installation of MongoDB can be done by following the steps mentioned in the official documentation.
Make sure to follow all steps until
Uninstall MongoDB Community Edition. (Make sure systemd service calledmongodis created. Start it and check status similar to IPFS service. Then stop it.)
All the requirements have now been satisfied.
The components of the chat application are as follows:
- Org1
- peer0
- node server
- ipfs node
- orderer
- CA
- Org2
- peer0
- node server
- ipfs node
- CA
As you can see, we need different ports for each of the services. The reason why we need different ports is because we are running multiple services on the same machine. Ideally, we would have different machines for each of the Organisation. So in that case the ports don't matter as they wont overlap anyway. However, for the sake of simplicity, we are running all the services on the same machine and hence, need to make sure the ports don't overlap.
Since, both orgs will be running on the same PC we will use the same ipfs service between them both. So, no configuration is needed here.
Since, both orgs will be running on the same PC we will use the same mongod service between them both. So, no configuration is needed here.
In this case, both the orgs are running on the same machine. So all the components mentioned above in Architecture will be running on the same machine.
This is not ideal as in the real world the each organization will have different machines. However, the current dockerfiles provided by Hyperledger Fabric have all components running on the same machine. So when we start the network using the start script, all the components will be started on the same machine.
This is how the project directory should look like initially:
(If you have not followed the above steps you will not have the intall-fabric.sh script, rest all the directories should be there.)
Now, first we need to create a copy of the backend and frontend folder and paste it in the root directory of the project. The reason for this is that we have two different peer nodes (one for each Org) and both these peer nodes have their own API endpoints running on different ports.
Hence, we need to have two different backend folders, one for each peer node. And then we need two frontend folders for the two backend servers.
Then rename the folders as org2_backend and org2_frontend.
If you rename them to something else make sure to change the
.gitignorefile accordingly or else the folders will be pushed to the git repository.
After renaming the folders, the project directory should look like this:
Once the above steps have been completed, if you navigate to the backend folder you will see a .env file (Select Show Hidden Files) with contents as shown below.
Now, in the .env file of the org2_backend folder that we just created we need to change two fields:
- The PORT to
4445. (Or any other unused port) - The ORG_USER_ID to
org2. (Has to be named as org2)
Similarly, the .env file of the frontend folder looks like this:
For React, the environment variables need to start with
REACT_APP.
In the .env file of any frontend folder (in our project), the API_ADDRESS is the IP_ADDRESS and the API_PORT is the PORT of the corresponding backend folder.
So, for org2_frontend we need to change the API_PORT to 4445. (Or any other port as long as it matched the PORT)
This is yet to be implemented. However, some of the things we found regarding this are mentioned below.
To use IPFS between many PCs they provide us with ipfs-cluster.
Docs: https://ipfscluster.io/documentation/
Video Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLz6ZU-CXmU
To use MongoDB among multiple PCs we need something like MongoDB Atlas. However, this is a 3rd party cloud which violates the requirement of our project where we can't use any 3rd party service.
To tackle this we came up with the idea of using Hyperledger Fabric itself as the database for storing user, group, etc. information. This approach can be found in our research paper but has not been implemented yet.
Research Paper: Aatmanirbhar Sanchar - Chat Application
All of the configuration of the test-network is done by the docker-compose files present in the Network folder. Hence, to install Fabric on two different PCs and have these services communicate with each other we need to change the contents of the docker-compose files.
Till Fabric version 1.x all of the configuration was present in one docker file and hence, it was easy to configure. One of the approaches we found are:
https://techelix.medium.com/hyperledger-fabric-on-multiple-hosts-a33b08ef24f
However, this approach only works for Fabric version 1.x. And with the added layer of Docker swarm the app became quite slow in comparision to the versions 2.x.
Heres a course that teaches how to deploy Fabric 2.x on multiple hosts but we couldn't get around it in time:
https://www.udemy.com/course/hyperledger-fabric-2x-multi-host-deployment/
We were appointed two servers:
SERVER 1
LAN: 192.168.32.70:3478
WAN: 115.242.70.53:3478
SERVER 2
LAN: 192.168.32.71:3479
WAN: 115.242.70.53:3479
All the steps below should be done on the TIFR Lab PC that has IP address
192.168.32.70. Also, since we haven't completed Two PC Setup we won't be using Server 2.
Open the .env file in the backend folder.
Change the IPFS_API from localhost (127.0.0.1) to LAN address of Server 1 i.e. 192.168.32.70.
Change the PORT from 4444 to 3478.
Then open the .env file in the frontend folder.
Change the REACT_APP_API_ADDRESS from localhost to WAN address of Server 1 i.e. 115.242.70.53:3478.
Change the REACT_APP_API_PORT from 4444 to 3478.
Change the IPFS Configuration file:
In "API" and "Gateway" replace 127.0.0.1 with 192.168.32.70
While deploying on college servers the second org (org2) will still have to run locally only as the LAN IP of Server 2 is of another PC and we have not yet implemented Two PC Setup.
sudo systemctl start mongod
sudo systemctl status mongodsudo systemctl start ipfs-node
sudo systemctl status ipfs-node# Navigate to Project Folder
cd 2023-24-BE48/
# Navigate to test network
cd Network/test-network/
# Start the network (up)
# Create a channel (createChannel) using channel name (-c mychannel)
# Use certificate authorities (-ca)
./network.sh up createChannel -c mychannel -ca
# Deploy chaincode (deployCC)
# chaincode name as basic (-ccn basic)
# Specify directory where chaincode package (-ccp) is present
# Specify chaincode language (-ccl), javascript in our case
# Select channel on which chaincode is to be deployed (-c mychannel)
./network.sh deployCC -ccn basic -ccp ../../Chaincode/ -ccl javascript -c mychannelDo this on a new terminal tab
# Navigate to Project Folder
cd 2023-24-BE48/
# Navigate to backend folder
cd backend
# Custom script that will build the frontend using 'npm run build' and then node start
npm startThis will start a server at 127.0.0.1:4444 if deploying locally or at 192.168.32.70:3478 if deploying on college servers.
Do this on a new terminal tab
# Navigate to Project Folder
cd 2023-24-BE48/
# Navigate to backend folder (org2)
cd org2_backend
# Custom script that will build the frontend using 'npm run build' and then node start
npm startThis will start a server at 127.0.0.1:4445 irrespective of deployment strategy.
The chat application is now ready to be used. To use the chat application, open two browser windows one normal and one private (incognito) window.
In the normal window, open the chat application at http://localhost:4444 (or http://115.242.70.53:3478 if you have deployed on college servers). This window will represent a user from org1 trying to access the chat application.
In the private window open the chat application at http://localhost:4445. This window will represent a user from org2 trying to access the chat application.
Now, on seeing the Login page, create a new account for both the windows. Once the accounts have been created, you will be redirected to the Home page where the sidebar will have a list of group chats the user is a part of. For now, there will be no group chats as we haven't created any.
So, create a group using the Create New Group button. Enter a group name and click on create. You will be assigned as the admin of this group and any new user requests to join this group will have to be approved by you. Now, you can see the group in the sidebar. Click on the group to enter the chat room.
To join an existing group, you will need the group name. The group name can be obtained from the admin of the group. Once you have the group name, click on the Join Existing Group button. Your request to join the group will be sent to the admin. Once the admin approves your request, you will be able to see the group in the sidebar. Click on the group to enter the chat room.
If you are the admin of a group, you will receive a notification when a user requests to join the group. You can approve or reject the request. If you approve the request, the user will be added to the group and will be able to see the group in the sidebar.
In the chat room you can send and receive messages, images, audio files, etc.
To logout, click on the Logout button in the sidebar. You will be redirected to the Login page.
# Navigate to test-network folder that contains the network.sh script
cd 2023-24-BE48/Network/test-network/
# Stop the network (down)
./network.sh downStop the backend servers by pressing Ctrl + C in the terminal tabs where the servers are running.
Stopping the IPFS and MongoDB services can be done by running the following commands:
sudo systemctl stop ipfs-node
sudo systemctl stop mongod-
Two PC Setup
Having a seperate PC for each organization is the ideal setup. There are also further combinations like having a seperate PC for each component of the organization i.e. one PC for the peer node, one PC for the node server, one PC for the IPFS node, etc.
-
MongoDB
Ideally, we should not use MongoDB as a database for storing user, group, etc. information as it brings centralization to the system and our entire app is based on decentralization. Using Hyperledger Fabric as a database itself is a good approach but has not been implemented yet. The idea of how to implement it can be found in our research paper.
-
Data loss
If we stop the network all the messages are lost as the docker containers are not persistent. This can be solved by using a persistent volume for the docker containers. This also requires configuring the docker-compose files.
-
Authentication
Hyperledger Fabric provides us with a CA (Certificate Authority) for authentication. Currently, we are just using the CA for authenticating an Organization but for the users in the organization we are using a simple username and password. This can be improved by using the CA for user authentication as well.
-
Webkit
During development we found that the current version of the frontend is dependent on a specific version of node (v16.20.2). If you wish to upgrade node version you will have to update the frontend accordingly. If you check the
package.jsonfile in thefrontendfolder then you will see the following:
We needed to add
set NODE_OPTIONS=--openssl-legacy-providerto thestartscript to make the frontend work with the current version of node.
- Hitakrit Goplani - [email protected]
- Shruti Dalvi - [email protected]
- Swara Nabar - [email protected]
- Krish Mehta - [email protected]