A Framework for Data Provenance Assurance in Cloud Environment using Ethereum Blockchain

Cloud data provenance refers to the systematic recording and tracking of the entire lifecycle of digital data within a cloud. Ensuring secure data provenance is crucial for maintaining accountability and confidentiality in cloud environments. However, establishing trust between cloud customers and service providers remains a challenge, highlighting the need for assured data provenance models. In recent times, blockchain technology has emerged as promising solution for designing data provenance assurance models. It provides a decentralized and distributed ledger to record the provenance of digital assets. In this work, we design a blockchain-based framework for ensuring data provenance in cloud storage. Initially, we develop a cloud storage application using OpenStack swift storage which helps in the generation of provenance data. Subsequently, we design a data provenance assurance framework for confidential files of users using the Ethereum blockchain. To evaluate the scalability and performance of the proposed framework, we analyze various performance parameters such as transaction throughput, latency and gas limit using various scenarios. The performance of the system is compared under two consensus algorithms namely proof of work and proof of authority. This analysis helps to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the blockchain-based solution in ensuring data provenance in cloud storage environments.