Quick Start

Application Development using CCF Overview

Development environment

(JavaScript/Typescript) Applications

CCF apps can be written in JavaScript/Typescript. To test a JS/TS CCF application you need go through the following steps:

Build Application

The application building prerequisites [CCF, NodeJS and NPM] must be installed, all will be preinstalled if you are using the devcontainer environment, otherwise you need to install them manually.

Please follow ccf-app-template build process

Testing your Application

There are several approaches to run and test your application.

  • Running the sandbox.sh script automatically starts a CCF network and deploys your application on it. The app is up and ready to receive calls and the initial governance steps are done for you

  • Support both ccf network types [virtual - enclave (TEE hardware)]

  • No initial governance steps required

  • A CCF network can be started using Docker containers; please check the docker file samples

  • Support both ccf network types [virtual - enclave (TEE hardware)]

  • Initial governance steps are required to initialize, deploy your app, and start the network. check Network governance section

  • To test your application using Managed CCF, you can create Azure Managed CCF service on your subscription, the service will create a ready CCF network

  • Support only a ccf network in enclave mode (TEE hardware)

  • No initial governance steps required to start up your network, but you need to use governance to propose your application

Testing: Application Endpoints

To check samples on how to test your application endpoints, please check these repositories:

C++ Applications

CCF apps can also be written in C++. This offers better performance than JavaScript apps but requires a compilation step and a restart of the CCF node for deployment. please check ccf-app-template repository.

The C++ sample app is located in the `cpp/ <cpp/>`__ directory.

Build C++ app

Please check ccf-app-template build process

Run C++ app: Using Sandbox.sh

Please check run ccf-app-template using sandbox.sh

Run C++ app: Using Docker

Please check run ccf-app-template using docker

Network Governance

A Consortium of trusted Members governs the CCF network. Members can submit proposals to CCF and these proposals are accepted based on the rules defined in the Constitution. Governance changes are submitted to a network as Proposals, and put to a vote from members.

Note

The initial member’s certificate and private key, must be generated before starting a CCF network, please check Adding New Members .

Activating network members

By default the CCF network needs at least one member to be started, after the network is started this member must be activated.

Adding network users

Users directly interact with the application running in CCF. Their public identities should be voted in by members before they are allowed to issue requests. Once a CCF network is successfully started and an acceptable number of nodes have joined, members should vote to open the network to Users. First, the identities of trusted users should be generated, see Generating Member Keys and Certificates and Adding Users docs

New user proposal sample

Application deployment

The native format for JavaScript applications in CCF is a JavaScript application bundle, or short app bundle. A bundle can be wrapped directly into a governance proposal for deployment.

Application deployment proposal sample

Open network for users

Once users are added to the network, members should create a proposal to open the network, Other members are then able to vote for the proposal using the returned proposal id.

Once the proposal has received enough votes under the rules of the Constitution (ie. ballots which evaluate to true), the network is opened to users. It is only then that users are able to execute transactions on the deployed application.

Open network proposal sample