API Specs for blockchain membership on peer nodes

[gnulib]

Description

As a developer,

I would like to know API specifications for a peer node to join/leave an existing blockchain network,

so that I can manage blockchain membership for my peer node dynamically.

Acceptance Criteria

• a websocket/protobuf based API is defined for a peer node to join/leave an existing blockchain network
• client of the API is resposible for implementing application business logic, and provide transaction verification
• it is assumed that blockchain network is already created (by some other mechanism)

[gnulib]

Question: Why would I want a peer node different from application?

Why would I, a developer, write a client application separate from peer node, and not use the DLT stack directly into my application? After all, the real purpose of DLT as a Stack is to integrate DLT into application, isn't it?

It takes same effort to write the application with DLT stack, as it would take to write the application with an API client for off-the-box peer node.

Potential benefits of having off-the-box peer node:

• when application is running behind a firewall, and it cannot reach/connect to other network peers using DLT stack, it could access off-the-box peer node (hosted outside) via the API (However, in that case, even API access to peer nodes may be blocked)
• allows non-go applications to be integrated into blockchain network, as long as they have an API client (websocket, protobuf). This will allow business logic to stay with non-go application, and let the consensus engine functionality be run using go implementation of the peer node