BLOCKCHAIN BASED DECENTRALIZED CLOUD STORAGE WITH RELIABLE DEDUPLICATION

Abstract

The rapid growth of data-intensive applications and cloud computing has significantly increased the demand for secure, scalable, and cost-efficient storage solutions. Traditional centralized cloud storage systems suffer from critical limitations such as single points of failure, lack of transparency, data breaches, and inefficient storage utilization. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a Blockchain-Based Decentralized Cloud Storage with Reliable Deduplication framework that integrates the advantages of blockchain technology, distributed storage systems, and secure deduplication mechanisms. The proposed system leverages blockchain as a decentralized ledger to ensure data integrity, transparency, and tamper-resistance. Each data transaction, including upload, access, and verification, is recorded as a block, enabling traceability and eliminating the need for a trusted third party. The storage layer is built upon a peer-to-peer (P2P) distributed architecture, where data is fragmented, encrypted, and stored across multiple nodes, enhancing availability and fault tolerance. This decentralized approach mitigates risks associated with centralized storage, such as data loss and unauthorized access. A key contribution of this work is the implementation of a reliable deduplication mechanism that eliminates redundant data while preserving privacy and security. The system employs convergent encryption combined with hash-based indexing to detect duplicate data blocks without exposing the original content. Additionally, a proof-of-ownership (PoW) protocol is utilized to verify legitimate ownership before allowing deduplication, preventing unauthorized data access. Smart contracts are integrated to automate data management operations such as access control, storage verification, and incentive distribution among storage nodes. The proposed framework ensures data confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA triad) while optimizing storage efficiency and reducing operational costs. Experimental evaluation demonstrates improved storage utilization, reduced redundancy, and enhanced security compared to conventional cloud storage systems. The system is particularly suitable for applications requiring high data reliability and privacy, such as healthcare, finance, and enterprise data management. In conclusion, this research presents a robust and scalable solution that combines blockchain and secure deduplication to redefine modern cloud storage systems. Future work may focus on improving system scalability, reducing blockchain overhead, and integrating advanced consensus mechanisms for enhanced performance.