Enabling Collaborative Multi-Domain Applications: A Blockchain-Based Solution with Petri Net Workflow Modeling and Incentivization

The increasing value of data and the emergence of programmable infrastructures have paved the way for col-laborative multi-domain applications across industries such as healthcare and airlines. However, such collaborations come with significant challenges, including application coordination, incentivization, and validation of execution. In this paper, we propose a novel solution that leverages blockchain technology and utilizes Petri nets for workflow modeling. Our approach involves implementing a smart contract-based workflow coordinator on the blockchain and employing a three-layered architecture to coordinate off-chain tasks. Additionally, we demonstrate the use of Petri nets for modeling economy tokens, which serve as incentives to foster collaboration among workflow parties. To validate our solution, we present a proof of concept through a simulated use case involving a multi-domain workflow for mitigating a DDoS attack. In this use case, domains collaborate by blocking offending IPs, incentivized by acquired tokens required to invoke workflows.