1 Get Started with Oracle Blockchain Platform
This section describes how to get started with Oracle Blockchain Platform for Oracle Cloud account and service administrators.
About Oracle Blockchain Platform
Oracle Blockchain Platform gives you a pre-assembled platform for building and running smart contracts and maintaining a tamper-proof distributed ledger.
Oracle Blockchain Platform is a network consisting of validating nodes (peers) that update the ledger and respond to queries by executing smart contract code—the business logic that runs on the blockchain. External applications invoke transactions or run queries through client SDKs or REST API calls, which prompts selected peers to run the smart contracts. Multiple peers endorse (digitally sign) the results, which are then verified and sent to the ordering service. After consensus is reached on the transaction order, transaction results are grouped into cryptographically secured, tamper-proof data blocks and sent to peer nodes to be validated and appended to the ledger. Service administrators can use the Oracle Blockchain Platform web console to configure the blockchain and monitor its operation.
With Oracle Blockchain Platform, you complete some simple instance creation steps, and then Oracle takes care of service management, patching, backup and restore, and other service lifecycle tasks.
For information about available features, see Using Oracle Blockchain Platform.
About Application and Network Security in Oracle Blockchain Platform
Your Oracle Cloud account includes Oracle Identity Cloud Service . You use Oracle Identity Cloud Service to add users and manage access for Oracle Blockchain Platform. When users access an Oracle Blockchain Platform console or a blockchain application developed for Oracle Blockchain Platform, they are authenticated against Oracle Identity Cloud Service.
In addition, Oracle Cloud provides a reliable and flexible network security infrastructure to further control how clients, administrators, and other cloud services access your service instance and its applications. By default, your service instances can only be accessed over secure protocols like HTTPS and SSH.
Before You Begin with Oracle Blockchain Platform
Oracle Blockchain Platform is available on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). When you order Oracle Blockchain Platform through Oracle Universal Credits, you automatically get access to other required services, including Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Compute, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage, and Oracle Identity Cloud Service.
When you activate your Oracle Blockchain Platform order, you get the Cloud Account Administrator role. This role gives you full administration privileges on the cloud account, so you can complete all aspects of Oracle Blockchain Platform setup and create other users.
Here’s some information about how Oracle Blockchain Platform uses other services that you might find useful:
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Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Compute
Oracle Blockchain Platform uses an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Compute VM to deploy and run the Oracle Blockchain Platform instance and all other required applications such as Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage,Oracle Identity Cloud Service and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Load Balancing.
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Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage
Oracle Blockchain Platform uses Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage to store product-related binary files and logs.
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Oracle Identity Cloud Service
Oracle Identity Cloud Service Foundation is automatically provided when you subscribe to Oracle Blockchain Platform through Oracle Universal Credits. Some additional features are available with Basic and Standard Editions.
Workflow for Administering Oracle Blockchain Platform
To start using Oracle Blockchain Platform, refer to the following tasks as a guide.
| Task | Description | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Place an order for Oracle Blockchain Platform or sign up for a free Oracle Cloud promotion | Signing up for the free Oracle Cloud promotion is as easy as creating a new Oracle Cloud account. | |
| Activate your Oracle Cloud account |
You receive a welcome email when your account is ready. To activate your account, you must sign in with the credentials provided in the email. Click the Get Started with Oracle Cloud link in your welcome email and sign in. You’re prompted to change your password. |
Signing In For the First Time |
| Access the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console | Access the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console. | Accessing the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console |
| Add and manage Oracle Cloud users and roles | Optionally, create additional accounts for your cloud users and assign the necessary roles. |
Adding Users and Assigning Roles in Getting Started with Oracle Cloud |
| Create a service instance | Use the Create Instance wizard in the Blockchain page to create a service instance. | Creating an Oracle Blockchain Platform instance |
| Create users and give them access to the service instance in Oracle Identity Cloud Service | Optionally, you can use Oracle Identity Cloud Service to create additional users. | Using Oracle Identity Cloud Service for Authentication |
After you’ve created your instance and any required users, you can begin to use Oracle Blockchain Platform as described in Using Oracle Blockchain Platform
How to Begin with Oracle Blockchain Platform
Additional information on creating roles for Oracle Blockchain Platform can be found in Use Oracle Identity Cloud Service for Authentication.
Accessing the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console
Oracle Blockchain Platform can be accessed through a web-based console.
- Sign in to Oracle Cloud. If you received a welcome email, use it to identify the URL, your user name, and your temporary password. After signing in, you will be prompted to change your password.
- From the Infrastructure Console, click the navigation menu in the top left corner, expand Platform Services, and then click Blockchain Platform.