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Tag: Blockchain

  • First-Time Quality for Software on a Blockchain Network

    First-Time Quality for Software on a Blockchain Network

    There is probably more trust in the world today than at any other point in history—not necessarily by choice, but because of our use of software to carry out almost every type of transaction. The use of blockchain networks brings visibility to those networks of transactions: Information about an asset that was once held by separate owners is changing to the lifetime history of an asset or transaction and is shared between all stakeholders.

    For software developers, this means ensuring the integrity of a blockchain network is paramount. To that end, three key interesting aspects regarding continuous testing are emerging:

    • New approaches to business networks require the ability to test supply-chain business processes and transactions.
    • Reliance on shared technology ecosystems requires the ability to test APIs from multiple perspectives and to simulate the behavior of consensus.
    • Increased dependency of APIs requires the ability to test integrations at scale without affecting distributed ledgers in which any interaction is immutable (unchangeable) and final.

    Project teams face an unprecedented demand for first-time quality while minimizing the impact of testing on the team’s delivery. To respond to this challenge, test teams are enhancing their capabilities so they can test:

    • Apps that integrate with a blockchain network;
    • Chaincode that manages the execution of transactions on a blockchain network; and
    • Provision and scalability of a blockchain network.

    In addition to these new capabilities, proven continuous testing techniques and tools can be adopted to help the team deliver quality software into their blockchain ecosystem.

    Test Entire Ecosystems

    Using a blockchain network means an organization is redefining the structure of its business networks and processes, connecting distributed supply chains with a single transaction backbone. Projects need testers to minimize the risk of business disruption by validating every business process works across all stakeholders on the blockchain network.

    Test State Early—Shift Left

    In a blockchain ecosystem, the new paradigm is state-based communication, not message-based communication. The behavior of the state of an asset is influenced constantly by market, internal and regulatory changes, so projects increasingly are adopting Agile and DevOps practices to respond as quickly as possible. Shifting testing to the left on an Agile project means the team can test early, and those tests can then be reused continuously. Providing early, iterative feedback on quality at the time of development means fewer problems are found late in the life cycle, where their business impact can be severe.

    Establish Technical Trust

    One of the great things about blockchain technology is the potential to create greater transparency throughout an ecosystem.  Trust is embodied in the transaction itself, which gives an important new role for digital systems of trust. Regulators and owners of a blockchain network must ask testers to validate the codification of contracts, compliance and certifications, which are then deployed into the blockchain network and embodied within the business transactions.

    Use of blockchain technology will fundamentally change business processes and enable new opportunities. Success depends on the level of trust stakeholders have in the blockchain network and the blockchain ecosystem.

    However, a blockchain ecosystem is an environment shared among different organizations, each of which has a stake in—and dependence on—the overall system. This means each organization must trust the other stakeholders to fully test any software that interacts with the blockchain ecosystem in a manner that will not impact the reliability of the overall system. As such, a blockchain ecosystem that has a culture and reputation of technical trust between the dependent stakeholders is more likely to be successful. Continuous testing brings trust throughout the blockchain ecosystem.

    To establish technical trust in a blockchain ecosystem, ensure these four key things:

    1. Your team can test when needed, not just when possible.
    2. Required technical environment works as required to support the business flows.
    3. Business processes and transactions run as expected.
    4. Solution scales to the expected usage.

    Benefits of Continuous Testing and ‘Shift Left’

    Enabling teams to shift testing to the left means projects can test when needed, not just when possible. Continuous testing means an organization can deliver capabilities faster, respond quickly to ongoing changes and realize the value of transforming applications to utilize the power of a blockchain network.

    Watch the webinar replay on how to implement quality checks as early as possible, run tests as often as possible and integrate automated testing with release management to minimize the complexity of deployment.

    About the Author / James Hunter

    James Hunter jpg

    James has spent a large part of his career architecting and implementing large-scale, distributed systems in the finance, public and defense sectors. He now leads a global business segment responsible for defining technology strategy then developing and implementing solutions for both IBM and clients. Mentoring and encouraging future technical leaders is important to James. He works with students of all ages and speaks in primary schools to universities to evangelize on the benefits of technology and the positive impact software can have on our society and the environment. He has a degree in Management Systems and he is a Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society. Connect with James on LinkedIn/Twitter

     

  • Top 10 Emerging Technologies Enterprises Should Know

    Top 10 Emerging Technologies Enterprises Should Know

    The momentum behind the adoption of new technologies underway is no less than astounding.

    Those enterprises that not only adopt, but learn to master, emerging technologies will be the clear winners in the years ahead as they learn their customers’ needs better, rapidly develop new and successful products and services, optimize their use of business technology, improve supply chains, increase margins and stay a few steps ahead of the competition.

    Recently the World Economic Forum released its annual list of technologies it thinks are ready to “break through” this year, which generally means start witnessing wider adoption. Some of the breakthrough technologies this year include very powerful batteries, what is deemed “socially aware” artificial intelligence (AI) and improved solar panel technology.

    According to a statement released by the World Economic Forum, the Top 10 2016 Emerging Technologies list, compiled by the Forum’s Meta-Council on Emerging Technologies and published in collaboration with Scientific American, reveals the technological advances the group believes could improve lives, transform industries and safeguard the planet. The list also serves as an opportunity to discuss the any human, societal, economic and environmental risks the technologies may pose prior to widespread adoption.

    “Horizon scanning for emerging technologies is crucial to staying abreast of developments that can radically transform our world, enabling timely expert analysis in preparation for these disruptors. The global community needs to come together and agree on common principles if our society is to reap the benefits and hedge the risks of these technologies,” said Dr. Bernard Meyerson, chief innovation officer at IBM and chair of the Meta-Council on Emerging Technologies.

    Some important criteria in technology selection was the council members’ belief that 2016 would prove to be a deployment tipping point of each technology. That should be of interest to CIOs and technology leaders, too. And it means it’s time for tech leaders to start figuring whether and how implementation may or may not make sense.

    The top 10 technologies to make this year’s list are:

    1. Nanosensors and the Internet of Nanothings – With the Internet of Things expected to comprise 30 billion connected devices by 2020, one of the most exciting areas of focus today is now on nanosensors capable of circulating in the human body or being embedded in construction materials. Once connected, this Internet of Nanothings could have a huge impact on the future of medicine, architecture, agriculture and drug manufacture.
    1. Next Generation Batteries – One of the greatest obstacles holding renewable energy back is matching supply with demand, but recent advances in energy storage using sodium, aluminum and zinc-based batteries make mini-grids feasible that can provide clean, reliable, around-the-clock energy sources to entire villages.
    1. The Blockchain – Much already has been made of the distributed electronic ledger behind the online currency Bitcoin. With related venture investment exceeding $1 billion in 2015 alone, the economic and social impact of blockchain’s potential to fundamentally change the way markets and governments work is only now emerging.
    1. 2D Materials – Graphene may be the best-known, single-atom layer material, but it is by no means the only one. Plummeting production costs mean that such 2D materials are emerging in a wide range of applications, from air and water filters to new generations of wearables and batteries.
    1. Autonomous Vehicles – Self-driving cars may not yet be fully legal in most geographies, but their potential for saving lives, cutting pollution, boosting economies and improving quality of life for the elderly and other segments of society has led to rapid deployment of key technology forerunners along the way to full autonomy.
    1. Organs on chips – Miniature models of human organs—the size of a memory stick—could revolutionize medical research and drug discovery by allowing researchers to see biological mechanism behaviors in ways never before possible.
    1. Perovskite Solar Cells – This new photovoltaic material offers three improvements over the classic silicon solar cell: it is easier to make, can be used virtually anywhere and, to date, keeps on generating power more efficiently.
    1. Open AI Ecosystem – Shared advances in natural language processing and social awareness algorithms, coupled with an unprecedented availability of data, will soon allow smart digital assistants help with a vast range of tasks, from keeping track of one’s finances and health to advising on wardrobe choice.
    1. Optogenetics – The use of light and color to record the activity of neurons in the brain has been around for some time, but recent developments mean light can now be delivered deeper into brain tissue, something that could lead to better treatment for people with brain disorders.
    1. Systems Metabolic Engineering – Advances in synthetic biology, systems biology and evolutionary engineering mean that the list of building block chemicals that can be manufactured better and more cheaply by using plants rather than fossil fuels is growing every year.