Technical Architecture

🌐 Overview

XDSN is a modular, decentralized storage network optimized for both hot and cold data. It harnesses IPFS for content addressing and peer-to-peer distribution, augmented by on-demand retrieval, tiered storage, and token-driven incentives. The architecture scales across devices—from mobile to VPS—ensuring resilience and broad participation.

🧩 Core Components

  • Node Types

    • Hot Nodes: SSD-backed, low-latency, serve frequent requests.

    • Warm Nodes: HDD-backed, balance cost and performance.

    • Cold Nodes: Leverage home NAS and cloud servers for archival storage.

  • Storage Tiers

    1. Tier 1 (Hot): High-availability SSD pools.

    2. Tier 2 (Warm): Cost-efficient HDD arrays.

    3. Tier 3 (Cold): Hybrid NAS + cloud servers.

  • Stub File System

    • Local metadata files (“stubs”) hold content references (e.g. IPFS CIDs), file metadata, and retrieval instructions.

    • On-demand fetch via CLI triggers actual data transfer when accessed.

  • Protocol Stack

    Layer
    Purpose

    Transport

    IPFS DHT for peer discovery & content exchange

    Storage

    Local disk, NAS devices, cloud-integrated storage

    Retrieval

    CLI workflows for just-in-time data access

    Incentives

    Ethereum-based XDSN token rewards & staking

    Security

    Client-side encryption, reputation, audit trails

🕸️ Network Topology & Node Interactions

  • Decentralized Mesh Nodes connect via IPFS’s DHT, exchanging peer lists and content advertisements.

  • Dynamic Role Assignment Nodes declare or shift roles (hot, warm, cold) according to resource availability and network demand.

  • Replication Strategy

    • Hot content: replicated widely across hot nodes.

    • Archival content: distributed sparsely across cold nodes to minimize cost.

  • Coordination Protocols Lightweight signaling handles cache invalidation, tier promotions, and request routing.

🗃️ Caching & Storage Mechanisms

  • Local Caching Frequently accessed files persist in local cache to reduce fetch latency.

  • Tier Promotion Access-driven promotions move data from cold → warm → hot tiers when thresholds are exceeded.

  • Stub-Driven Retrieval Placeholders trigger automated fetch workflows; actual chunks arrive only on access.

  • Deduplication & Integrity Content hashing ensures unique storage and automatic deduplication network-wide.

🏛️ Governance Architecture

  • Dual-Purpose XDSN Token Deployed on Ethereum, XDSN serves as both utility (staking, access fees) and governance token.

  • On-Chain Voting Token holders vote on protocol upgrades, incentive parameters, and tier definitions via smart contracts.

  • Proposal System (XIPs) Any node or user can submit an XDSN Improvement Proposal; community feedback and voting follow.

  • Reputation-Weighted Influence Voting power factors in stake, node uptime, and historical contributions.

  • Multi-Sig Treasury Management Core protocol funds and upgrade execution are held in multi-signature wallets requiring multiple authorized signers.

📜 Smart Contract Flows

  • Node Registration

    • Nodes stake XDSN tokens on Ethereum to register identity and declare tier.

    • A minimum stake is required to join the network and become eligible for node rewards; this stake remains locked during operation.

    • Registration smart contract issues a unique node certificate.

  • Incentive Distribution

    • Uptime, bandwidth, and storage contributions are measured off-chain and verified on-chain.

    • Rewards paid out in XDSN according to pre-defined epochs.

    • Node operators can view real-time reward accrual via the NodeJS CLI or web Dashboard.

  • Access Control

    • File requests validated via token-gated smart contracts.

    • Optional usage- or time-based expiry enforced on-chain.

  • Governance Execution

    • Approved votes trigger automated contract upgrades and parameter adjustments.

    • Multi-sig wallet threshold signatures govern the upgrade transactions to ensure secure deployment.

🛡️ Security Considerations

  • Client-Side Encryption End-users encrypt data prior to upload; nodes only handle ciphertext.

  • Content Integrity Chunk hashing and CID verification prevent tampering and ensure authenticity.

  • Reputation & Slashing Malicious or underperforming nodes risk token slashing or exclusion from reward pools.

  • Access Tokens Cryptographic tokens manage fine-grained permissions and time-locked access.

  • Multi-Sig Wallets Treasury, governance funds, and reward distribution contracts reside in multi-signature wallets requiring several key-holders to approve sensitive transactions.

  • High Availability Multi-path retrieval and redundant replicas guard against node failures.

⚙️ Node Lifecycle

  1. Onboarding

    • Docker containers bundle all dependencies for hot, warm, and cold node deployments.

    • CLI tool initializes node identity, tier selection, and Ethereum wallet integration.

    • Dockerized images enable one-command deployment across platforms.

  2. Heartbeat & Metrics

    • Nodes emit uptime, latency, and storage usage to monitoring oracles.

    • Oracles feed data into on-chain reward calculations.

  3. File Distribution

    • Files encrypted, chunked, hashed, and distributed.

    • Replication factors adapt per tier and file popularity.

  4. Retrieval & Rehydration

    • Stub file access triggers data fetch.

    • Retrieved data cached locally; hot-tier promotion if reuse detected.

📈 Scalability & Resilience

  • Horizontal Scaling New nodes join seamlessly; DHT automatically redistributes routing tables.

  • Fault Tolerance Multiple replicas and alternative fetch paths guarantee availability even under network partitions.

  • Adaptive Tiering Automated heuristics balance cost, performance, and redundancy by relocating data across tiers based on usage patterns.

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