What Is Hyperledger Explorer?
I'm here to explain Hyperledger Explorer directly to you—it's an open-source blockchain utility module that lets you build a user-friendly web application. With it, you can view, initiate, organize, or query various artifacts and developments that are key parts of a Hyperledger blockchain network. Remember, it's designed specifically for blockchains under the Hyperledger umbrella.
Key Takeaways
You should know that Hyperledger Explorer is a straightforward web application tool for viewing or invoking transactions, digital wallets, and other information in a Hyperledger blockchain setup. It helps you find and understand data that's otherwise just machine-readable encrypted ledger entries. Beyond basic functions, it delivers enterprise-level visualizations through intuitive graphs, charts, and tables to aid decision-makers.
Understanding Hyperledger Explorer
Let me walk you through the background: Hyperledger Explorer emerged as the Hyperledger project grew since 2016, now involving over 130 organizations worldwide under the Linux Foundation. With such broad adoption, there was a clear need for an easy-to-use, human-interpretable dashboard for blockchain activities. That's where Hyperledger Explorer came in, initially contributed by companies like IBM, Intel, and DTCC—they each built their own versions before merging efforts under the Hyperledger project.
Think of it like Windows Explorer or Task Manager: it's an interface that lets you access network details such as names, states, and lists of nodes, plus blocks, transactions, related data, transaction families, chain codes, and other stored information.
Since raw blockchain data is hard for humans to read, Hyperledger Explorer provides visualizations using graphs, charts, pictures, and templates, along with standard search and monitoring features.
How Hyperledger Explorer Works
Here's how it operates: the architecture features a backend web server that handles interactions with other components and manages query responses. WebSockets facilitate communication between the server and client parts. It uses RethinkDB to store details on blocks, transactions, and smart contracts, which you can query as needed. A security repository ensures only authorized access.
Hyperledger Explorer offers unified, enterprise-level visualization that's useful in real-time for developers building features, researchers studying history, operators managing the blockchain, or top management.
You can see multiple aspects of its configuration and features in the animated image below (image courtesy of Altoros).
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