info_tfgrid/collections/tech/innovations/zstor_innovation_short.md
2024-05-08 16:00:46 -04:00

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The Problem

Traditional backend storage systems have their roots in centralized environments, focusing on low-latency and closed security setups. However, these characteristics make them less suitable for use in decentralized cloud contexts.

Newer generation storage systems such as protocol-driven or blockchain-based solutions may face scalability and performance limitations and may not fulfill certain critical requirements that we consider essential.

Introducing Zero-Stor

A redesigned storage system which can scale to a planetary level. It is super secure, private and fast enough for more use cases. It is designed to operate in a decentralized context and data can never be lost or corrupted.

This storage system is:

  • A backend storage system
  • It cannot be used by end users
  • It's meant to be integrated with a front end storage system like e.g. S3 or a filesystem

The Benefits

  • Data resilience: ensures data is never lost or corrupted.
  • Planetary scalability: capable of scaling to a global level.
  • Cost-efficient: offers exceptional cost efficiency.
  • Versatility: suitable for various use cases, including archiving, backup, files, and CDNs.
  • Low overhead: requires only a 20% overhead for building a storage network where any four nodes can be lost simultaneously, compared to a 400% overhead in traditional storage systems.
  • Security and privacy: provides robust security and is even impervious to quantum computers.
  • Data sovereignty: users have complete control over data placement.
  • Empowering front-end applications: can be integrated into various front-end storage applications, such as blockchains, archives, or S3.
  • CDN support: functions effectively as a backend for CDN applications, facilitating content delivery.
  • Sustainability: uses 10 times less energy compared to traditional storage systems, contributing to sustainability efforts.
  • Locality aware: data can be delivered to where the users are which is ideal for sovereign use cases.

Status

  • Zero-OS has been in beta for over four years, with continuous development and improvement.
  • A notable deployment in Switzerland, with over 50 petabytes of storage capacity, served as a substantial test environment, although it's no longer active.
  • Within the current TFGrid network, there is an impressive capacity of over 20 petabytes available for use.
  • Lacking some monitoring but documentation will be added in TFGrid 3.15
  • Previous releases have been successfully utilized by major government organizations on a massive scale (hundreds of petabytes), providing strong evidence of the concept's viability and effectiveness.