IPFS Storage: Resilience, Speed & Freedom

In today’s digital age, where data is the key component of all industries, how we store it matters more than ever. In this blog, we will discuss the traditional storage system and the problems that triggered the rise of IPFS storage. We would explore the power of IPFS and unlock a new era of secure, permanent, and censorship-resistant storage.

What is IPFS? 

The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a decentralized file system that is used to store and share files across different nodes and allow individuals to track and see their different versions over time. Unlike the client-server architecture that stores files on a centralized server, IPFS provides a distributed network shared among different bodies. Thus, it facilitates quicker and more reliable access to files. 

Problems of Centralized Storage System 

Before diving into the details, let us first read about the problems that came up with the centralized storage systems, which caused better ways of storing files, i.e., IPFS and decentralized networks, to be introduced. 

In centralized networks, the central body has the authority to censor the information that it thinks is harmful or incorrect. Hence, this limits free speech and access to information. 

• Vulnerability to Single Points of Failure

In centralized storage systems, if the central system fails or undergoes a security breach, the entire network will fail, and this is called a single point of failure. 

Entities with centralized control often possess exclusive control over information and resources, hindering competitive dynamics and curtailing the scope for innovation.

As all the data is stored in a single location, it becomes vulnerable to breaches and hacking, and hence, raises questions on the privacy and security of the sensitive information of users. 

• Wealth Distribution Disparities

Wealth among the centralized systems is distributed very unevenly; for example, most of the wealth would be given to the centralized systems and barely distributed among the users. 

On the other side, decentralized storage networks like IPFS majorly solve all these issues and allow users to have evenly distributed power, wealth, and security. 

IPFS and Blockchain 

Blockchain is a distributed, decentralized data management network that offers top-notch features like transparency, and traceability. As both IPFS and blockchain have similar features, blockchain comes at the forefront of recording the file metadata to support IPFS. Moreover, both blockchain and IPFS serve different purposes in the real world. To have a more comprehensive understanding, let us first know about both of them separately. 

IPFS v/s Blockchain- What’s the difference?

Blockchain, the decentralized ledger is widely used in today’s age to store data on different transactions in a distributed and transparent manner. It has consensus methods, and cryptographic algorithms to ensure the safety and integrity of the data stored on blockchain. Blockchain has various applications across different industries like decentralized applications (DApps), decentralized finance (DeFi), crypto industry, blockchain gaming, decentralized identifiers (DIDs),  and so on. 

On the other hand, IPFS aims to provide a global decentralized file system network that can tackle the problems associated with traditional web protocols. It is resistant to censorship, and mutability, and allows the files to be stored in an efficient manner. IPFS ensures that the data stored in it, is unique, by allotting it a unique identifier, and is protected against modifications. If the data gets changed by following the protocol, a new “hash” identifier is generated which would be different from the hash stored on the blockchain for the recorded data. 

Hence, the incorporation of Blockchain supports the working of IPFS, where IPFS stores the files in a decentralized and distributed system, blockchain keeps the track record in a decentralized, and transparent manner, and verifies all the transactions. 

How IPFS Works?

Let us break down the key areas referring to how IPFS stores data: 

Distributed Data Storage 

Inter Planetary File System is a peer-to-peer network that is used to store and share files across multiple nodes. To store files resiliently, IPFS works by breaking down the files into smaller pieces called “blocks’, and storing them in various nodes all over the network. This means that files are stored at multiple locations instead of a single location, thus protecting them from the associated risks with the single point of failure. 

Content-Addressed System 

A content-addressed system is used to name files in the IPFS system. This means that IPFS provides a unique hash of the content instead of location, and names to identify the files. This content-addressing system allows users to download or access files from different nodes even if they were initially uploaded or stored at different locations. Moreover, this system can create permanent and immutable links likewise URLs, which can be used as references to access files when they are moved to different locations. 

Data Retrieval By Nodes 

As noted previously, the storage of content involves a variety of nodes. These can vary from individual personal computers to substantial data centers. Each node plays a role in maintaining a Direct Acyclic Graph (DAG), which effectively maps all the blocks, and simplifies the process of data retrieval. To request a file, a node sends out requests for the blocks that make up the file, and then receives the output that stores them. As the node is done with receiving all the blocks, it reconstructs the file. 

Hence, data is stored and retrieved in a much better and more efficient way by decentralized IPFS storage. 

Applications of IPFS 

The following are the use cases of IPFS storage: 

Scattered Storage for Resilience

IPFS stores files scattered among various nodes at different locations in the form of blocks and ensures that the data can be easily retrieved even if some of the nodes go offline or leave the network, as the files can be reconstructed from the remaining blocks that have crucial information. This redundancy makes the network highly resilient to node failures and network disruptions. 

Global Delivery with Decentralization

When a user requests a file, IPFS from its decentralized storage retrieves the necessary blocks that are present closest to the user, rather than relying on centralized storage systems that may be present far from the user’s location. This reduces the latency, and bandwidth costs, and increases the global accessibility of the data stored. 

Foundation for dApps

Decentralized apps are regular apps but without a central storage point, and that is why IPFS can set the groundwork for dApps to store the data in a secure, transparent, and independent manner. Moreover, the content-addressed and immutable feature ensured data integrity which is quite beneficial for the dApps to provide trustworthy and tamper-proof services. 

Preserving Web History

In the centralized and ever-changing web system, websites rely on centralized servers which may go offline, or remove content. On the other hand, IPFS allows the web to create permanent storage links that can even be used when it goes offline. Also, the websites are replicated making it much harder to replicate. 

Uncensorable File Sharing

As IPFS does not have any centralized server, there is total transparency with no censorship. Also, as the data is stored at multiple nodes it is very hard to erase or remove anything from the network. Thus, IPFS allows free speech without the fear of being restricted. 

Benefits of IPFS 

• Quicker Content Delivery 

IPFS enables efficient content retrieval by leveraging its decentralized network of nodes, leading to lower latency and faster content delivery compared to traditional web systems. The peer-to-peer architecture allows nodes to retrieve content from multiple sources simultaneously, ensuring high availability and minimizing bottlenecks.

• Enhanced Data Availability 

With the presence of data at different locations, data availability is increased, with a reduced risk of downtime. Thus, the method of content addressing ensures that the information can be accessed anytime, and anywhere. 

• Robust Security & Privacy 

IPFS offers cryptographic security which ensures the authorized use of the content stored on the network. Moreover, decentralization provides the benefits of transparency with no vulnerability to censorship and surveillance. 

• Cost-Effective Storage Solutions 

By leveraging the power of distributed storage, IPFS can help reduce the cost of hosting and serving content, without compromising on speed or security. Its decentralized architecture enables efficient content distribution, ensuring high availability and fast retrieval times. IPFS provides enhanced security and data integrity through content addressing and decentralization.

Conclusion 

The IPFS community is actively working on improving scalability and performance, as well as developing more user-friendly interfaces and tools to make IPFS more accessible to non-technical users. Additionally, there are initiatives underway to encourage more developer adoption and support, including hackathons, developer communities, and educational resources.

Overall, IPFS represents a promising new approach to storing and sharing files in a decentralized, peer-to-peer network. As the internet continues to evolve and face new challenges, IPFS may play an increasingly important role in ensuring a more resilient, censorship-resistant, and decentralized web. By leveraging the power of distributed storage, IPFS offers a cost-effective, efficient, and secure solution for hosting and serving content, without compromising on speed or performance. The future of IPFS looks promising, paving the way for a more open, transparent, and decentralized internet.

IPFS Storage is gaining heights in Web 3 solutions, and Blocktech Brew  is leading the way in Web 3 Development. So, to get your cutting-edge Web 3 and blockchain solutions developed, do reach out to us via business@blocktechbrew.com