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The network
Summary
- A Corda network is made up of nodes running Corda and CorDapps
- The network is permissioned, with access controlled by a doorman
- Communication between nodes is point-to-point, instead of relying on global broadcasts
Network structure
A Corda network is an authenticated peer-to-peer network of nodes, where each node is a JVM run-time environment hosting Corda services and executing applications known as CorDapps.
All communication between nodes is direct, with TLS-encrypted messages sent over AMQP/1.0. This means that data is shared only on a need-to-know basis; in Corda, there are no global broadcasts.
Each network has a network map service that publishes the IP addresses through which every node on the network can be reached, along with the identity certificates of those nodes and the services they provide.
The doorman
Corda networks are semi-private. Each network has a doorman service that enforces rules regarding the information that nodes must provide and the know-your-customer processes that they must complete before being admitted to the network.
To join the network, a node must contact the doorman and provide the required information. If the doorman is satisfied, the node will receive a root-authority-signed TLS certificate from the network's permissioning service. This certificate certifies the node's identity when communicating with other participants on the network.
We can visualize a network as follows:
Network services
Nodes can provide several types of services:
- One or more pluggable notary services. Notaries guarantee the uniqueness, and possibility the validity, of ledger updates. Each notary service may be run on a single node, or across a cluster of nodes.
- Zero or more oracle services. An oracle is a well-known service that signs transactions if they state a fact and that fact is considered to be true.