diff --git a/_src/_guides/key-concepts-of-bigchaindb.md b/_src/_guides/key-concepts-of-bigchaindb.md index 07e976b..7057bea 100644 --- a/_src/_guides/key-concepts-of-bigchaindb.md +++ b/_src/_guides/key-concepts-of-bigchaindb.md @@ -2,13 +2,14 @@ layout: guide title: Key concepts of BigchainDB -tagline: Get familiar with the transaction model of BigchainDB (inputs, outputs, assets, transactions). +tagline: Get familiar with our transaction model +Assets, Inputs, Outputs, and Transactions order: 1 learn: > - How BigchainDB's transaction model works - - What the individual components in a transaction represent + - What each component in a transaction represents - What a `CREATE` transaction is @@ -17,16 +18,16 @@ learn: > # About our transaction model -The first thing to understand about BigchainDB is how we structure our data. Traditional SQL databases structure data in tables. NoSQL databases extend that by using other formats to structure data (e.g. JSON, key-values etc.). At BigchainDB, we structure data as assets. Our key principle is that everything can be represented as an asset. An asset can characterize any physical or digital object that you can think of (e.g. a car, a house, a data set or an intellectual property right). +The first thing to understand about BigchainDB is how we structure our data. Traditional SQL databases structure data in tables. NoSQL databases use other formats to structure data such as JSON and key-values, as well as tables. At BigchainDB, we structure data as assets. We believe anything can be represented as an asset. An asset can characterize any physical or digital object that you can think of like a car, a data set or an intellectual property right. -These assets can be registered on BigchainDB by users in `CREATE` transactions and transferred (or updated) to other users in `TRANSFER` transactions. +These assets can be registered on BigchainDB in two ways. (1) By users in `CREATE` transactions. (2) Transferred (or updated) to other users in `TRANSFER` transactions. While traditionally, we design applications focusing on business processes (e.g. apps for booking & processing client orders, apps for tracking delivery of products etc.), in BigchainDB we don’t focus on processes, but on assets (e.g. a client order can be an asset that is then tracked across its entire lifecycle). This switch in perspective from a process-centric towards an asset-centric view influences much of how we build applications. # Visualization of our transaction model -This infographic will help you understanding what `CREATE` and `TRANSFER` transactions are and what the individual components of a transaction represent (inputs, outputs, assets, metadata etc.). We will be using a simple real-life example: Martina digitally registers her bicycle on BigchainDB in a `CREATE` transaction and after some time transfers this bicycle to Stefan in a `TRANSFER` transaction. +This infographic will help you understanding what `CREATE` and `TRANSFER` transactions are and what the individual components of a transaction represent (inputs, outputs, assets, metadata etc.). Lets use a simple real-life example: Martina digitally registers her bicycle on BigchainDB in a `CREATE` transaction. After some time, she transfers this bicycle to Stefan in a `TRANSFER` transaction. -Every concept that we describe (e.g. inputs, outputs etc.) has a more detailed description in the subsequent sections. +Every concept that we describe (e.g. inputs, outputs etc.) is discussed in further detail below. BigchainDB CREATE and TRANSFER transactions @@ -34,11 +35,13 @@ The data model of transactions is explained in our [transaction model](https://t # Asset -An asset can represent any physical or digital object from the real world. It can be a physical object like a car or a house or also a digital object like a customer order or an air mile. An asset can have one or multiple owners, but it can also be its own owner - think of e.g. an autonomous car or an IoT sensor that does transactions automatically. More information about the asset data model can be found in our [asset model](https://the-ipdb-transaction-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/transaction-components/asset.html). An asset always contains the data that is immutable, like in our example the color and the registration number of a bicycle. Depending on the context, an asset can represent many different things. +An asset can represent any physical or digital object. It can be a physical object like a car or a house. Or it can be a digital object like a customer order or an air mile. An asset can have one or multiple owners, but it can also be its own owner. Think of an autonomous car or an IoT sensor that does transactions automatically. More information about the asset data model can be found in our [asset model](https://the-ipdb-transaction-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/transaction-components/asset.html). An asset always contains data that is immutable. In our example, the color and the registration number of a bicycle is immutable data. + +Depending on the context, an asset can represent many different things. ### An asset as a claim -An asset can represent an ownership claim for a particular object, e.g. it represents a claim that user XYZ owns the bicycle with the number XYZ. This can be valid for any type of ownership. +An asset can represent an ownership claim for a particular object, e.g. it represents a claim that User ABC owns the bicycle with the number XYZ. This can be valid for any type of ownership. ### An asset as a token @@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ As you can see, there are almost no limits with respect to what an asset can rep # Input -Conceptually, an input is a pointer to an output of a previous transaction. It specifies to whom an asset belonged before and it provides a proof that the conditions required to transfer the ownership of that asset (e.g. a person needs to sign) are fulfilled. In a CREATE transaction, there is no previous owner, so an input in a CREATE transaction simply specifies who the person is that is registering the object (this is usually the same as the initial owner of the asset). In a TRANSFER transaction, an input contains a proof that the user is authorized to "spend" (transfer or update) this particular output. In practical terms, this means that with the input, a user is stating which asset (e.g. the bike) should be transferred and he is demonstrating that he or she is authorized to do the transfer of that asset. Learn more about the structure of inputs in our [input model](https://the-ipdb-transaction-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/transaction-components/inputs.html). +Conceptually, an input is a pointer to an output of a previous transaction. It specifies to whom an asset belonged before and it provides a proof that the conditions required to transfer the ownership of that asset (e.g. a person needs to sign) are fulfilled. In a CREATE transaction, there is no previous owner, so an input in a CREATE transaction simply specifies who the person is that is registering the object (this is usually the same as the initial owner of the asset). In a TRANSFER transaction, an input contains a proof that the user is authorized to "spend" (transfer or update) this particular output. In practical terms, this means that with the input, a user is stating which asset (e.g. the bike) should be transferred. He also demonstrates that he or she is authorized to do the transfer of that asset. Learn more about the structure of inputs in our [input model](https://the-ipdb-transaction-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/transaction-components/inputs.html). # Output @@ -74,10 +77,10 @@ Note that a transaction can also have multiple outputs. These are called divisib # Metadata -The metadata field allows one to add additional data to a transaction. This can be any type of data, e.g. the age of a bicycle, the kilometers driven etc. The good thing about the metadata is that it can be updated with every transaction. So, in contrast to the data in the asset field, the metadata field allows to add new information to every transaction. Additionally, with the release of BigchainDB 1.3, we introduced the ability to query for metadata. Read more about that on our [blog.](https://blog.bigchaindb.com/bigchaindb-version-1-3-7940cc60c767) +The metadata field allows users to add additional data to a transaction. This can be any type of data, like the age of a bicycle or the kilometers driven. The good thing about the metadata is that it can be updated with every transaction. In contrast to the data in the asset field, the metadata field allows to add new information to every transaction. Additionally, with the release of BigchainDB V1.3, we introduced the ability to query for metadata. Read more about that on our [blog.](https://blog.bigchaindb.com/bigchaindb-version-1-3-7940cc60c767) # Transaction ID -The ID of a transaction is a hash that identifies a transaction in a unique way. It contains all the information about the transaction in a hashed way. Find out more about the cryptography BigchainDB uses [here.](https://the-ipdb-transaction-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/common-operations/crypto-hashes.html) +The ID of a transaction is a unique hash that identifies a transaction. It contains all the information about the transaction in a hashed way. Find out more about the cryptography BigchainDB uses [here.](https://the-ipdb-transaction-spec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/common-operations/crypto-hashes.html) -That's it! Now you are familiar with our transaction model and you are ready to complete our first [tutorial](../tutorial-car-telemetry-app/) and get started on BigchainDB! +That's it! Now you're familiar with our transaction model and ready to complete our first [tutorial](../tutorial-car-telemetry-app/) and get started on BigchainDB!