Blockchain-based eVault for Legal Records

INTRODUCTION

In the history of digital transformation, the legal record maintenance witnessed a paradigm shift in the management legal records. The enhanced immutable and cryptographic properties of blockchain technology, integrated with smart contract system automation, this innovative system aims to redefine how legal records are stored, accessed and secured, paving the way for a more trustworthy, transparent, and efficient future in legal record management.

The change in traditional paper based documentation to digital archives had opened good efficiency and accessibility benefits. However there are some raise in critical concerns regarding data confidentiality, security and trust. In idea of overcoming these challenges, this proposal introduces a groundbreaking solution: the design of a blockchain-based eVault explicitly designed for legal records.

ABSTRACT

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Developing a blockchain-based eVault system for legal records that can ensure security, transparency, and accessibility for all stakeholders.

EXISTING SYSTEM:

Legal records managed typically by establishing storage and filing solutions for legal documents, as well as ensuring the data within them is handled according to data protection and privacy laws.

PROPOSED SYSTEM:

Our approach provides features for storage, manage and sharing the legal records securely and efficiently, with the potential to integrate with existing legal databases and case management systems.

ARCHITECTURE

ALGORITHM

Step 1: Platform Selection: Choose a suitable blockchain platform (Ethereum, Hyperledger, or Corda) for the eVault system. Step 2: Smart Contract Development: Develop smart contracts to manage access, permissions, and transactions within the blockchain network. Step 3: User Interface Development: Design user-friendly interfaces for lawyers, judges, clients, and stakeholders. Step 3.1: Include features such as document upload, retrieval, tracking changes, and sharing information. Step 4: Privacy and Security Implementation: Implement appropriate access controls, encryption, and authentication mechanisms to ensure privacy and confidentiality of legal records. Step 5: Integration with Existing Systems: Enable seamless integration with existing legal databases and case management systems to ensure interoperability and ease of use. Step 6: Scalability and Adaptability: Design the system to be scalable and adaptable to accommodate future changes and upgrades in technology or requirements. Step 7: Prototype Development: Develop a functional prototype of the eVault system incorporating all the above features. Step 8: Documentation: Create a detailed design document outlining the architecture, features, and technical specifications of the eVault system.

Features

• Smart Contracts: Manages access, permissions, and transactions securely.

• User-friendly Interfaces: Provides intuitive interfaces for lawyers, judges, clients, and other stakeholders.

• IPFS Network: Allows uploading, retrieval, tracking changes, and sharing legal documents.

• Privacy and Confidentiality: Ensures data privacy through access controls, encryption, and authentication mechanisms.

• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with existing legal databases and case management systems.

Tech Stack

• Client: EJS , CSS, JavaScript
• Server: Node, Express
• Blockchain: Hyperledger Fabric
• Database: CouchDB
• File Storage: InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)
• Authentication: Digital signature

Prerequisites

• Git
• Curl
• Node
• CouchDB
• IPFS
• Jq
• Docker and Docker-compose

IPFS Network:

• Installation Commands:

 docker pull ipfs/go-ipfs
 docker run -d --name=ipfs_host ipfs/go-ipfs:latest
 docker exec -it ipfs_host /bin/sh
 ipfs init
 ipfs daemon

• Command for converting file to hash :

ipfs add path/to/file

• Command for retrieving the file from hash :

ipfs get [hash]

• Command to extract content from hash :

ipfs cat [hash]

Deploying the Application :

Manual Setup:

Installation of Hyperledger Fabric :

• Hyperledger Fabric is more compatible with Linux. Therefore, I used Linux Ubuntu OS. Run the following command to install Hyperledger Fabric:

curl -sSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hyperledger/fabric/main/scripts/install-fabric.sh && chmod +x install-fabric.sh

• If the link does not work on your device, open the link on another device, copy the script, and then run it on your device:

 chmod +x install-fabric.sh
./install-fabric.sh

Connecting the CouchDB :

• Change the configuration of all core.yaml files from LevelDB to CouchDB in peer section.

• In the test-network directory, change the database option to couchdb in the network.config file.

Starting the fabric-network :

cd path/to/fabric-samples/test-network
./network.sh down
sudo ./network.sh up -s couchdb
sudo ./network.sh createChannel -c mychannel 
sudo ./network.sh deployCC -ccn basic -ccp ../asset-transfer-basic/chaincode-javascript -ccl javascript

Starting the application :

• Before starting the application, set up the folders like application-javascript, chaincode-javascript and test-application. Modify these files as per your requirements. In application-javascriptand then follow these commands:

 cd path/to/evault_blockchain/asset-transfer-basic/application-javascript
 npm init
 npm i
 npm start

Cloning the Repository:

Starting the fabric-network :

git clone https://github.com/rohith-bandi/evault_blockchain
cd path/to/fabric-samples/test-network
./network.sh down
sudo ./network.sh up -s couchdb
sudo ./network.sh createChannel -c mychannel 
sudo ./network.sh deployCC -ccn basic -ccp ../asset-transfer-basic/chaincode-javascript -ccl javascript

Starting the application :

 cd path/to/evault_blockchain/asset-transfer-basic/application-javascript
 npm init
 npm i
 npm start

Web-Interfaces for admin :

Portainer : http://localhost/127.0.0.1:9000

• Install Docker interface Portainer with the following commands:

docker volume create portainer_data
docker run -d -p 9000:9000 -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v portainer_data:/data --name portainer portainer/portainer 

CouchDB : http://localhost/127.0.0.1:5984/_utils

• CouchDB is automatically installed using Docker during the network setup, and CouchDB containers will also be managed by Docker. The default username is admin, and the password is adminpw.

Hyperledger Explorer : http://localhost/127.0.0.1:8081

• Install Hyperledger Explorer with the following commands:

cd path/to/fabric/fabric-samples/token-sdk/explorer
docker-compose down -v
docker-compose up -d

• Note: The username is exploreradmin, and the password is exploreradminpw. Before installation, make the required changes in the connection-profile.

Hyperledger Explorer Database : http://localhost/adminer.php

• Install php-pgsql and Adminer with the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install php php-pgsql
wget https://github.com/vrana/adminer/releases/download/v4.8.1/adminer-4.8.1.php -O adminer.php
sudo mv adminer.php /var/www/html/adminer.php
sudo apt-get install apache2

• Note: For the server address, go to the Docker interface and check the IP address. The username is hppoc, the password is password, the database is fabricexplorer, and the system is postgresql.

Acknowledgements

• Hyperledger Documentation

🔗 Link

• Static Mock-up

PROJECT TUTORIAL VIDEO

https://youtu.be/XNfDfIvFRz0?si=93PUvUcJmsR1X6fm

THANK YOU