Secure Storage Layer Using Hybrid Technologies for Decentralized File Storage

Abstract

Decentralized file storage systems are pivotal for secure and reliable data management in applications such as healthcare. This research proposes a novel hybrid technology integrating the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) and Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) to create a secure storage layer for a Blockchain-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. IPFS ensures decentralized data storage with high availability and redundancy, while PBFT provides fault-tolerant consensus to maintain data integrity and consistency across network nodes. The proposed architecture encrypts healthcare records using AES, splits them into chunks for storage on IPFS, and employs PBFT to validate transactions, ensuring resilience against faulty or malicious nodes. The hybrid approach achieves robust security, scalability, and fault tolerance, making it ideal for sensitive medical data management. Experimental outcomes demonstrate enhanced data integrity, availability, and reliability, positioning this solution as a significant advancement in decentralized storage for healthcare applications.

Introduction

Blockchain is a decentralized, distributed ledger that securely records transactions across a network. Technologies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have proven blockchain’s value in creating transparent, efficient, and peer-to-peer systems. This research focuses on developing a hybrid decentralized file storage system using InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) and Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) to enhance data integrity, availability, and fault tolerance—particularly in healthcare systems.

2. Research Objective and Outcome

The primary goal is to design a blockchain-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) system that is:

• Secure

• Fault-tolerant

• Scalable

• Resilient to network failures

By integrating IPFS (for decentralized storage) with PBFT (for consensus and reliability), the system ensures consistent and reliable access to sensitive healthcare data even during partial system failures.

3. Literature Review

Key contributions include:

• Li et al. (2020): Improved PBFT scalability for high-volume systems.

• Hegde et al. (2023): Applied PBFT in lightweight blockchain frameworks for healthcare.

• Kebira et al. (2023): Introduced BlockMedCare, integrating IoT, blockchain, and IPFS for medical data security.

All support the benefits of combining IPFS and PBFT in secure, scalable systems—especially for healthcare.

4. Proposed Methodology

The system uses:

• IPFS: Distributes encrypted EHR data in chunks, ensuring redundancy and availability.

• PBFT: Ensures consensus among nodes, even in the presence of malicious actors.

• Smart Contracts (on Ethereum): Facilitate secure and seamless interactions between healthcare providers, patients, and systems.

Data flow:

1. Encrypt EHRs using AES

2. Split and store on IPFS

3. Maintain consensus using PBFT

4. Ensure secure access and integrity via smart contracts

5. Experimental Analysis & Results

Comparative Evaluation

The hybrid system (IPFS + PBFT) was compared with other decentralized storage and consensus mechanisms like:

• Storj

• Sia

• Arweave

• Swarm

• Consensus mechanisms: PoW, PoS, PoA, Tendermint, PoET

Key Features Evaluated

• Security

• Fault tolerance

• Data availability

• Energy efficiency

• Scalability

• Performance

• Compliance

• Implementation ease

6. Results Summary

Table 1: Feature Comparison

Table 2: Accuracy Comparison

The hybrid approach outperforms others in overall accuracy due to its high security, fault tolerance, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance, making it ideal for Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the hybrid approach of combining IPFS with PBFT that stands out as the most secure and effective for storing and accessing healthcare records in an EHR system. The combination leverages the strengths of both technologies, providing enhanced security, high availability, fault tolerance, performance, scalability, regulatory compliance, and flexibility. This hybrid system addresses the specific needs of healthcare data management, ensuring that sensitive patient information is stored and accessed securely, reliably, and efficiently. In conclusion, the Hybrid (IPFS + PBFT) solution is one of the best choices for managing healthcare records on a blockchain, balancing high security, scalability, energy efficiency, and fault tolerance. This makes it an ideal solution for the stringent requirements of Electronic Health Recording (EHR) systems.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Ms. Geeta N. Brijwani, Dr. Prafulla E. Ajmire. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.