The network infrastructure BNS will be used to deploy and run blockchain applications. Currently, the Blockchain Service Network has 128 nodes, 76 of which are in China.
Last April 25th, the Blockchain Service Network (BNS), a blockchain-based industrial alliance based in China for global business operations, was officially launched in Beijing.
The Blockchain Service Network is a cloud system, portal, and cross-cutting framework, jointly built by China Mobile, China UnionPay, and other Chinese companies under the direction of the National Information Center. This government agency seeks to build a global network infrastructure, with which users can deploy and run various applications on the blockchain.
After half a year, BNS ended its internal testing period last April 15th, 2020. According to its most recent white paper, the global popularization of BNS would turn it into the only global network infrastructure that the Chinese authorities would have innovated. Besides, its entry access will be under the control of China.
The high-end design of the China Blockchain Service Network adopts the structure “1-base, 1-core, 6-cross, 7-nature.” “1-base” is based on a consortium chain architecture; “1-core” is based on supporting smart cities and digital economy; “6-cross” are cross-cloud service, cross-portal, cross-bottom architecture, cross-public network, cross-region, and cross-institutions; and “7-nature” refer to transparency, commonality, scalability, open-source, multiple portals, low cost, and autonomy.
The BNS ecosystem consists of five parts: the cloud service provider, the underlying architecture provider, the portal provider, the developer, the operations and maintenance part. Fostering competition is a key feature of BNS ecology. The operations and maintenance part of BNS will help all users compete in just the same environment so that the entire blockchain industry can actively develop.
A Network with Global Claims
Now the Blockchain Services Network has deployed 128 nodes in cities worldwide, of which 76 are in China, 44 are under construction, and 8 are abroad. In this way, it covers Asia, North America, South America, Africa, and Oceania. Cloud service providers include China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, AWS, Baidu Cloud, and Azure.
The construction project of BNS is huge and requires constant optimization. There is the expectation for iteration to existing every quarter, and the next version update will be in late July. The project will mainly include the launch of Hyperledger Fabric (the national security version), the adoption of Baidu’s XuperChain framework, the consortium chain cross-portal management mechanism, the cross-cutting mechanism of nodes outside the BNS network, the increase and optimization for urban node network management, the use of real-time monitoring, and the optimization of the general operations of the network.
BNS President Shan Zhiguang said that the objective of BNS goal is to become the blockchain Internet. BNS belongs to all the society as it is “not for profit.” It only has a certain cost for the maintenance of the operations of the entire system. The purpose of BNS is to provide that environment and to encourage all the participants to develop new applications.
By Willmen Blanco
