IPFS The Inter Planetary File System
I will today deepen a little on the IPFS network. Of its full name, the Inter Planetary File System, was incepted by Juan Benet, whom moved from Mexico to study in United States as a teen a computer science degree at Stanford.
The guy started by launching successful companies, one of which was bougth by Yahoo.
He is the founder of IPFS.
Now , there is some companies that are jumping into the boat, like Neocities the websites maker site at https://neocities.org/
So let’s talk about the beast:
First , what is IPFS exactly and why ‘Inter Planetary’?
The founder Juan Benet was inspried by J.C.R. Licklider’s vision for an “intergalactic” internet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._R._Licklider#Global_computer_network
Seems a huge dream is’nt it?
Wikipedia as a very thorougth definition of IPFS i will not repeat it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterPlanetary_File_System
One of the main point is to adress many of the inerant weakness of HTTP protocol by decentralizing all website and apps origin server content. Removing the need for serving files in long http links chains for example.
In a way IPFS is a file system, it store and serve web content but like a usual website. The BIG difference is that the content-adressing is distributed (decoupled) from the origin server and is then saved permanantly in the network. Furthermore it mean that the content will finally be served from very near the user ( even possibly in another device in the same room !)
This makes a huge difference in efficency, the file are served ligthning fast even in slow connections. (let,s think a moment of all the developping economies; ex: India)
But why Inter-Planetary ?
Well , this seem to be about the vision. A distributed and efficient internet that would not be threathed by slow connection and data lost could span in a truly ‘galactic’ way.
Making it possible for the data to be stored and shared efficiently even on great distance (slow connection, solar flares, asteroids fields , even time distorsion due to Quantic teleportation Communication system ).
What does IPFS really solve ?
I am not an expert in internet networks and Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) , so let’s try to summerize what i understand from what i read.
The problem:
HTTP protocol which dominate the world wide web today works in a way in which data that is hosted or transfered must absolutly use data providers. Create a funnel where every data provider share cost because of ‘peering agreement’ between them.
This mean that they all pay together to host and transfer each others data flow, and that world-wide.
Furthermore, for example, the actual internet will download data from a single source instead of multiple (like torrents).
This leaves us with a slow and costly internet. To add on top a bit unreliable, links can be broken and data lost forever. There are vulnerabilities (DDos attack for example)
The solution:
By removing content hosting from hosted origin server, IPFS remove the need for chain links, instead it will serve for the nearesty node possible and fomr multiple source at the same time, making it remarkably fast.
Furthermore, the content distribution ensire that data is NEVER lost , making it reliable for critical data storage.
That is only a start. We may soon see more infrastructure and product adopting the IPFS file system and coupling it with let’s say .. smart contracts !
Then the automatic sync and coupling could be driven by intelligent transaction and interaction for users, making it possible for incredible string and efficient data structures. Then let’s add a little machine learning using IPFS as a oracles distributed system…
Imagination is the only limit !
What can we do with IPFS ?
Here:s a few obvious example of what can be done with IPFS as presented on their websites:
Archivists
It's not enough to organize the world's information—we need to store it in a way the world can remember it. IPFS provides deduplication, high performance, and clustered persistence.
Service providers
If your company delivers large amounts of data to users, a peer-to-peer approach could save you millions in bandwidth. IPFS can provide secure P2P content delivery.
Researchers
If you're working with, distributing, and analyzing huge datasets, IPFS offers fast performance and decentralized archiving.
Content creators
IPFS brings the freedom and independent spirit of the web at full force—and at low cost. IPFS can help deliver content in a way which can save you considerable money.
Developing world
High latency networks are a real barrier of entry to developing world. IPFS provides resilient access to data, independent of low latency or connectivity to the backbone.
What already uses IPFS ?
Neocities:
As already mentionned Neocities has annouced that it will “embrace” this new filesystem
Neocities is a community of 85,900 sites that are bringing back the lost individual creativity of the web. We offer free web hosting and tools that allow anyone to make a website.
https://neocities.org/
OpenBazaar:
No official annoucment have been made , but it seems, as mentioned in the bitcoin magazine, but Chris Pacia who would be working on IPFS integration, would have shared some details leading to the conclusion that OpenBazaar the open marketplace is will be using it.
OpenBazaar is a different way to do online commerce. Instead of visiting a website, you download and install a program on your computer that directly connects you to other people looking to buy and sell goods and services with you. This peer to peer network isn't controlled by any company or organization - it's a community of people who want to engage in trade directly with each other.
Theres is also [ipfs.pics] which I already have covered before.
I think we will see more to come about IPFS. I am myself working on a product which will leverage IPFS network.
I hope this will have been informative and interesting !
Sources:
https://ipfs.io/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterPlanetary_File_System
http://www.manton.org/2015/09/web-history-and-ipfs.html
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/openbazaar-integrating-interplanetary-file-system-to-help-keep-stores-open-longer-1460660998
https://openbazaar.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/207982443-How-does-OpenBazaar-work-
https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/04/why-the-internet-needs-ipfs-before-its-too-late/
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-interplanetary-file-system-wants-to-create-a-permanent-web