Blockchain-based Execution of BPMN Choreographies with Multiple Instances

Abstract

The recent growth of blockchain has opened the use of technology for supporting the creation of new kinds of trustable systems. Model-driven engineering methodologies have been conceived to facilitate the automatic generation and deployment of software applications starting from the definition and refinement of abstract specification. BPMN choreography diagrams permit the representation of inter-organisational systems from a high-level perspective, just focusing on message exchange. However, the usage of such models in a blockchain-based setting has been limited to scenarios in which parties are involved in single interactions. This aspect becomes significantly relevant when considering complex applications, and in particular those in the realm of the Internet of Things. In these cases, the multiplicity of parties and their actions is crucial and requires novel solutions. In this work, we propose a novel approach for modelling, refining, deploying, and executing a Choreography on the blockchain, taking into account those scenarios in which the model includes multiple-instances. In particular, the considered models are translated into smart contracts able to correctly manage multiplicity. To demonstrate the approach’s feasibility, we designed and presented a Smart Thermostat application, that is executed on the Polygon blockchain.