Introduction to interoperability
Most blockchain services require all nodes in a consortium to run in the same cloud environment. For enterprises whose IT infrastructure spans multiple cloud providers or private networks, this constraint makes cross-organization collaboration difficult.
Alibaba Cloud BaaS (Blockchain as a Service) solves this with interoperability support based on the Hyperledger Fabric community standard. Nodes deployed in different environments can join the same channel, execute smart contracts, and reach consensus — without sharing a cloud environment.
Alibaba Cloud BaaS is one of the core contributors to the development of interoperability and applies it in production.
How it works
Interoperability lets Hyperledger Fabric organizations in Alibaba Cloud BaaS join the same channel as external Hyperledger Fabric organizations. Both directions are supported:
An external organization joins a channel managed in Alibaba Cloud BaaS
An Alibaba Cloud BaaS organization joins an externally managed channel
The ordering service can be hosted inside or outside Alibaba Cloud BaaS, depending on which party manages the channel.
Supported external organizations
External Hyperledger Fabric organizations include, but are not limited to:
Organizations created on blockchain platforms of other vendors
Organizations deployed on user-managed infrastructure
Organizations in Alibaba Cloud Apsara Stack BaaS
Limitations
Currently, organizations from different environments can join the same channel, but cannot be combined into a consortium. This does not affect the business.