Emerging TechnologiesBlockchain Architecture and Network Design
A technical course on designing and operating a distributed ledger network. Delegates work through node architecture and topology, consensus selection against throughput and finality requirements, data modelling on chain and off chain, smart contract design and its failure modes, key management and identity, and the interoperability problem between networks. Substantial attention is given to what breaks in production: chain reorganisation, contract upgrade paths, gas and throughput limits, and the operational reality that an immutable ledger makes a bug permanent. The course assumes delegates are comfortable with systems architecture and are evaluating or building a network rather than learning the concept.
Course objectives
- Design node architecture and network topology for a stated requirement
- Select a consensus mechanism against throughput, finality and trust assumptions
- Decide what belongs on chain and what must stay off it
- Design smart contracts with upgrade paths and failure modes considered
- Architect key management, identity and access for a permissioned network
- Assess interoperability options between networks
- Plan for the operational realities of running a ledger in production
Who should attend
- Solution and enterprise architects
- Senior developers and technical leads
- Infrastructure and platform engineers
- Technical risk and security professionals
- Chief technology officers evaluating a build
Course outline
- 01Reference architectures and node topology
- 02Consensus selection against throughput, finality and trust assumptions
- 03On chain and off chain data modelling, and the cost of getting it wrong
- 04Smart contract design, testing and the permanence of a deployed bug
- 05Upgrade patterns and contract migration
- 06Identity, key management and access control on a permissioned network
- 07Interoperability, bridges and their security record
- 08Running in production: monitoring, throughput limits and incident response
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 to 11 September 2026 | Maputo, Mozambique | Classroom | R11,995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 12 to 16 September 2026 | Kampala, Uganda | Classroom | R11,995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 6 to 10 October 2026 | Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe | Classroom | R11,995 per delegate | Register Now |