nicklambert/systemdocs

System Documents

System Documents

Please see http://maidsafe.net/SystemDocs/ for the online version of this book.

#What is MaidSafe?

Maidsafe is the company behind project SAFE. Project SAFE (Secure Access For Everyone) aims to replace the current centralised and controlled Internet infrastructure into a fully decentralised and trustless network. Throughout development the projects vision has been Privacy, Security and Freedom for all the world's population. It is believed that these goals can be instrumental in providing an Internet that is more inclusive and controlled by no individuals or companies.

The SAFE project is an Open Source piece of software that enables a decentralized Internet platform, called the SAFE Network. MaidSafe autonomously handles static and dynamic data including communications. Data stored on the network is either encrypted and/or cryptographically signed by SAFE connected applications (clients). In either case, the network itself cannot decrypt any of the data. The SAFE network also distributes all data without the need for centralized servers. The idea was originally conceived by David Irvine who leads a small team building the base layer services. The system source code is open source and hosted on GitHub.

#How does the SAFE system work? The SAFE software turns all connected devices into SAFE Network nodes that collectively store data for all system users. SAFE enables any service that is currently available on today's centralized Internet, including; cloud storage, VOIP, video streaming, social networks, app stores and many others without the need for any data centres or centralizing structures. This means a SAFE web application, for example, does not store its user's data on any central server, rather the data is spread across many disks and devices owned and managed by many different users. No one person or corporation has an intact copy of a user's file. An overview short video can be found here

##Terminology

Term	Meaning
Builder	A developer who creates applications for the SAFE Network in order to receive safecoin commissions.
MAID	Massive Array of Internet Disks
MaidSafe	The name of the company who developed the SAFE Network.
P.O.R.	Proof of Resource. A protocol used to measure a computer's resource contribution to the SAFE Network.
SAFE	Secure Access For Everyone
SAFE Network	A decentralized network of users, communicating through the distributed self-encryption technology created by MaidSafe.
Safecoin	A virtual currency that exists only on the SAFE Network.
User	Anyone who connects to the SAFE Network by running the MaidSafe program.
Vault	The allocated portion of a user's disk space, contributed to the SAFE Network.
Vault Farmer	A user who dedicates more storage space to the SAFE Network than they are utilising in order to farm safecoins.

#What is Safecoin?

Safecoin is the currency of the SAFE network and a mechanism to incentivise and reward end users and developers as well as provide access to network services. Safecoin can only reside within the SAFE network (safecoin can be copied as it is data, but off-network copies are of no value as a coin) and will be stored in a users wallet and used in exchange for network services; such as increased storage space and access to network applications. There is no set distribution time for safecoins. Unlike many currencies, the distribution of safecoin is backed by information and the amount of coins generated by the SAFE network is directly related to the amount of resource provided to it.

The network can confirm and exchange coin ownership via a digitally signed authority from the coins last owner. This operation is ‘network atomic’, meaning that the network will make sure all copies update to show the transaction. This is a different approach to the ‘blockchain’ mechanism employed by bitcoin.

The SAFE network allows many millions of transactions per second and the larger the network the more transactions per second can be executed. Safecoin also only retains the previous and current owner. It does this to make sure the current owner has signed authority from the last owner to take ownership. This allows coins to be transferred between people very efficiently. Safecoins use a proof of resource algorithm to create coins and this is a system that is waste free, so the proof is that a node or application is providing immediate value to society. This can be considered proof of validated resource provision.

##Links and resources

• MaidSafe.net is the company that started this project.
• Github
• Developer wiki
• Developer task list
• maidsafe.org This is a great community run resource for questions, debate and research into all aspects of project SAFE.
• WikiPedia
• Google scholar papers and patents

There are a number of technical white papers explaining various parts of the system

• AutonomousNetwork
• Distributed File System
• Self Authentication
• Distributed Hash Table
• DHT based NAT traversal