Open Collective
Open Collective
Loading
Substratum-Networks
Contributors
Connect
About
Substratum the open-source distributed persistence layer
Published on May 27, 2021 by Stephen Traiforos
sub·stra·tum
noun

  1. an underlying layer or substance, in particular a layer of rock or soil beneath the surface of the ground.
    • "the plant will grow very rapidly and send out runners above the substratum"
  2. a foundation or basis of something.
    • "there is a broad substratum of truth in it"
Definitions from Oxford Languages
(Source: Oxford Languages and Google)
 

Substratum, the open-source data layer utilizing the best of secure technologies emerging from the modernization of networks supporting trust-less and state machine patterns utilizing the time tested trust of the blockchain concept; the Merkle DAG, used in the well known git version control architecture.

The technology stack will utilize Inter-Planetary File System to store files on a public or private* network file ledger. Protocol Labs rein-visions the web using the best of distributed computing concepts from various projects.  The substratum network will be an enterprise ready library set for deploying the nodes required to create a fault tolerant web.

Substratum will be the base layer to build flexible upload and distribution for the modern web that has all the trust/security we know and expect from the typical sever and cloud providers. The enterprise company that will directly support this project will have its own name to protect Protocol Labs intent of a free and open web where there is space for equity, releasing the enterprise solution and requirements to the public while maintaining the source IPFS project independently.

The goal of this project is to create an opinionated deployment strategy that will be open for auditing and open source collaboration yet also support the emerging need of other organizations taking the torch for the future to have a sustainable distributed web, while having a organizational presence offering guidance and a form of centralization of liability that matches the legal requirements that enterprises are subjected too.

* private networks on IPFS is more experimental and we will be focusing on this area using conventional enterprise approaches (self managed nodes not relying on externally owned nodes).