An In-Depth Investigation of the Performance Characteristics of Hyperledger Fabric

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of Hyperledger Fabric's performance characteristics, offering valuable insights and guidelines for optimizing its deployment in enterprise settings.

Contribution

It introduces an enhanced performance measurement framework and detailed empirical data on Hyperledger Fabric, addressing the lack of theoretical and practical performance insights.

Findings

Performance characteristics identified and discussed

Guidelines for configuration and implementation provided

Enhanced DLPS framework introduced

Abstract

Private permissioned blockchains are deployed in ever greater numbers to facilitate cross-organizational processes in various industries, particularly in supply chain management. One popular example of this trend is Hyperledger Fabric. Compared to public permissionless blockchains, it promises improved performance and provides certain features that address key requirements of enterprises. However, also permissioned blockchains are still not as scalable as centralized systems, and due to the scarcity of theoretical results and empirical data, their real-world performance cannot be predicted with the necessary precision. We intend to address this issue by conducting an in-depth performance analysis of Hyperledger Fabric. The paper presents a detailed compilation of various performance characteristics using an enhanced version of the Distributed Ledger Performance Scan (DLPS). Researchers and practitioners alike can use the various performance properties identified and discussed as guidelines to better configure and implement their Hyperledger Fabric network. Likewise, they are encouraged to use the DLPS framework to conduct their measurements.