Performance analysis of LogisticChain: A blockchain platform for maritime logistics

Abstract

The application of blockchain and smart contracts has been widely acknowledged as essential in digitised logistics, offering improved traceability, transparency, and efficiency. However, concerns regarding performance and implementation limitations persist. To demonstrate the challenges regarding the performance and efficiency of blockchain in logistics use cases, this study presents a proof-of-concept model by leveraging the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain network to emulate the shipping logistics process and illustrate the automated and self-executing nature of smart contracts and transactions among various logistics participants by implementing RAFT consensus mechanism. Utilizing Hyperledger Caliper, this study evaluates the performance by systematically adjusting parameters including the number of clients, the number of concurrent transactions, and transaction rates per second. Then nuanced variations in latency, send rate, and throughput are examined. Preliminary findings indicate significant performance impacts related to client numbers and transaction rates per second. When exceeding the processing capacity, the average latency of transactions experiences an exponential increase due to limited resources. Furthermore, different types of operations are compared, with Read operations exhibiting the lowest latency and Update operations displaying the highest latency due to the complex computations and validations involved. Lastly, the latency measures of the LogisticChain network between fixed-rate and linear-rate controllers are compared, highlighting lower latency with fixed-rate controllers. This research contributes to the advancement of knowledge in this field by developing open-source codes specifically tailored for maritime logistics use cases.