Introduction¶
At ShitOps, we have been using Microsoft Teams for a long time to enhance teamwork and productivity. However, our communication has been disrupted due to the inefficiency of Teams' notification system. This problem was severe and hampered our workflow.
We decided to come up with a solution that uses decentralized optimization techniques and advanced engineering strategies. In this blog post, I will discuss our approach step-by-step, including the tools used, the architecture, and how it works.
The Problem¶
Our engineers often miss important notifications on Microsoft Teams, leading to missed deadlines and lack of communication. Teams' notification system has its flaws, and we found that it was inefficient for our needs.
Our team tried different solutions like notifying all team members via email or text message, but this method was often overwhelming and distracting. Furthermore, it did not solve the root cause of the problem.
We needed a way to optimize this process while reducing workload, and we wanted to decentralize it in a distributed network of nodes using blockchain technology to ensure data integrity and security.
Our Solution¶
At ShitOps, we aimed to build an infrastructure that can handle the volume of notifications without overwhelming the receivers. We chose to decentralize our approach so that all team members could share the load, and work more efficiently as a collective whole.
For our solution, we decided to use blockchain and employing the proof-of-work algorithm, making it secure and autonomous. However, we realized that the processing power required for proof-of-work algorithms could be a bottleneck in our system. To mitigate this issue, we designed our own hybrid algorithm that uses both proof-of-work and the lightweight entropy-based lookup protocol.
To make this more understandable, a mermaid flowchart detailing the system architecture can be seen below:
As can be seen from the flowchart, our system handles notifications using a hybrid algorithm which converts each message into a unique hash value. This means that there is no need for duplicate messages, as it can be easily identified by the hash value.
When a new notification arrives, all nodes in the decentralized network verify its hash to ascertain whether it has already occurred. If it is already present, nodes disregard the notification. If the hash is unique, only one node will verify it. This distributed approach reduces the overall volume of work required and makes our solution scalable.
The Implementation¶
We implemented the decentralized network using the blockchain technology platform by Microsoft Azure with additional modifications and enhancements based on our needs. Our system's architecture consists of several components:
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FuseBridge for integrating Microsoft Teams Webhooks with the Blockchain network.
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An Oracle-Chainlink framework to enable off-chain data integration securely.
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A Virtual Private Network (VPN) powered onion routing mechanism ensuring anonymity and security.
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Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) for regulating system behavior.
FuseBridge allowed us to maintain the integrity of our Microsoft Teams Webhooks, and we used Microsoft Azure services alongside Chainlink's Oracle technology for secure and validated off-chain data integration.
For added privacy and security, we developed a VPN-powered onion routing mechanism. By employing this method, network IDs and other private information about the nodes stay secured. Finally, we utilized DAO to create self-governing entities that automatically regulate system behavior.
Conclusion¶
At ShitOps, we pride ourselves on utilizing advanced technology and engineering techniques to solve problems efficiently. Our solution for optimizing Microsoft Teams communication using decentralized networks and blockchain technology demonstrates these principles in action.
Using our hybrid algorithm enabled us to minimize central authority while maintaining data security. This system's architecture of is modularized, scalable, secure and more reliable compared to traditional notification systems, making it ideal to handle the dynamic load.
We hope that our approach will inspire others to use similar solutions when handling large volumes of notifications in real-time scenarios.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to evolve and optimize our processes at ShitOps!
Comments
tech_enthusiast99 commented:
This sounds really complex for a notification system! Did you consider any simpler solutions before going with blockchain?
Jim Overengineer (Author) replied:
Great question! Yes, we initially explored simpler methods like enhancing native Teams notifications or using third-party tools. However, they didn't address scalability or security issues, which our blockchain-based approach solves effectively.
alex_dev_guru commented:
Awesome use of blockchain for something other than cryptocurrency! I'm curious about the processing power concerns. How does the hybrid algorithm manage to balance between proof-of-work and the lightweight entropy-based protocol?
Jim Overengineer (Author) replied:
Thanks for your interest! Our hybrid algorithm dynamically assigns tasks to nodes based on their current processing load. It uses entropy as a measure to decide when to switch tasks between proof-of-work and simpler verification tasks, making it efficient and responsive.
skeptical_reader commented:
How does this system prevent spamming of notifications if anyone can send a notification? It seems like a decentralized system might be vulnerable to spam attacks.
blockchain_fanatic replied:
I'm guessing they'd use some consensus mechanism or limit how messages are propagated. Curious to hear what Jim has to say.
Jim Overengineer (Author) replied:
Indeed, we use a consensus algorithm that includes verification measures for notification legitimacy. Nodes within the network must reach an agreement on the validity of a notification before it's broadcasted, effectively minimizing potential spam.
business_analyst2023 commented:
Interesting concept! How did implementing this decentralized system impact the overall productivity at ShitOps?
Jim Overengineer (Author) replied:
We've seen a notable improvement in response times and project timelines. By reducing noise and enhancing notification relevance, our team's efficiency has increased significantly.
crypto_guru commented:
Blockchain and Teams?! Hit me up if you ever plan to tokenize these notifications! 😂 But seriously, what's the computational cost for your nodes? I've seen hybrid models reduce cost, but it can still be substantial.
greencluster replied:
Tokenizing notifications – now that's next-level stuff! 💡
Jim Overengineer (Author) replied:
We're mindful of computational costs. Our hybrid model is designed to optimize these by using low-energy verification processes when possible and dynamically adjusting to network demands.