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Architecture

Basic Architecture​

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Overview​

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Some of the following maybe outdated. Its receommended to check the source code directly for very latest approach implemented in Point Node.

Below is a list of modules that are used for the Point Network Node prototype implementation.

  • Application Loader
  • Context Manager
  • Logger
  • Process Manager
  • Config
    • Application
    • User
  • Storage
    • DB (LevelDB)
    • Encryption
    • Compression
  • Console
  • Network
    • DHT
    • Blockchain
  • ZProxy Server
  • Node Server
  • API Server
  • Smart Contracts

API​

Type​

REST API Module

Functionality​

Used as a 1 to 1 endpoint for a Point Network client to communicate with a single node. In the prototype the available routes are a ping route for checking the API is up and running and a deploy route that is for deployment of ZWeb website content templates.

In the prototype each demo node has this API running on different ports as follows:

  • Demo 1: Port 2468 (http://localhost:2468/ping)
  • Demo 2: Port 2469 (http://localhost:2469/ping)
  • Demo 3: Port 24469 (http://localhost:24469/ping)

Input Sources​

  • Console Module
  • Point CLI (which calls the API Module through a Console Module wrapper)

Output Destinations​

  • JSON Response Payloads specific to each request returned to caller

Libraries​

The prototype uses Fastify JS.

Modifications​

Fastify is a great choice for the Prototype. It's similar to most API based frameworks in the actual functionality and configuration / api that it provides as a framework. Equivalents would be that of Express JS or Hapi.

There is no obvious reason or benefit at this point to change from using Fastify JS.

Client ZProxy​

Type​

ZWeb Proxy Server

Functionality​

Provides ZDNS lookups for ZWeb domain names (.z) and applies the appropriate routing based on loading the routes, loading a file, sending a contract or key/value append.

When the request enters the ZProxy server with a ZWeb domain (ending in .z) the route file for that domain is loaded via a lookup function getZRouteIdFromDomain. This function looks up the ZRouteId from the Identity Smart Contract which is then used to load the routes.json file from the storage layer using that id.

In the prototype each demo node has the ZProxy server running on different ports as follows:

  • Demo 1: Port 8666 (http://localhost:8666/)
  • Demo 2: Port 65500 (http://localhost:65500/)
  • Demo 3: Port 65501 (http://localhost:65501/)

Input Sources​

  • Point Network Browser HTTP requests to proxy such that .z domains will be routed to the ZProxy endpoint. This makes the host of the .z domain the Point Network Identity that is used. So example.z will have the identity lookup of ‘example’.

Output Destinations​

  • The (sanitized) rendered HTML.

Libraries​

The module uses the Node http package for request / response. The sanitize-html library is also used. Sanitizing is an option (for the demo). There is a config (sanitizing-config.js) which defines the allowed tags, attributes etc.

Modifications​

It might be suitable to use the Fastify JS library as the API module does.s

Client Storage​

Type​

Storage Layer Module

Functionality​

Provides uploading, chunking, encrypting, storing and caching of files. Mostly for the demo these are files used for ZWeb sites.

Input Sources​

  • Point CLI deploy command

Output Destinations​

  • Once uploaded successfully a JSON response {"{"} status: 'success' {"}"} is returned.
  • Stored file chunks are saved in a local LevelDB via the DB Module

Libraries​

Makes indirect use (via the DB Module) of LevelJS.

Modifications​

Code could be broken down into various sub modules for maintainability.

Client Deployer​

Type​

ZWeb Deployment

Functionality​

Uploads templates, parses each template for sub templates recursively, deploys the ZWeb Smart Contract (if any) and updates the ZDNS.

Input Sources​

  • Via the Point Network CLI deploy command

Output Destinations​

  • Lots of output relating to the chunking of files as well as updates to the blockchain, transaction receipts and so on.

Libraries​

Truffle for deployment and interaction of Smart Contracts on the blockchain.

Modifications​

Maybe ways to simplify, use existing parsing libraries, avoid parsing html using regex, parallelization of parsing and so on.

Client Renderer​

Type​

ZHTML rendering Module

Functionality​

Renders ZHTML templates into HTML output for returning to the browser.

Input Sources​

  • The ZHTML template

Output Destinations​

  • HTML content

Libraries​

Twig JS

Modifications​

None at the moment.

Console​

Type​

A REPL terminal for interacting with a Point Network node.

Functionality​

Provides a way to interact with a Point Network node via a REPL terminal.

Input Sources​

  • Start the Console (./point attach) and interact with a node via commands (api ping).

Output Destinations​

  • Output from calls to the API Module (when the command is prefixed with ‘api’ - see example input above).

Libraries​

Readline JS and Axios JS.

Modifications​

None at the moment.

Core​

Type​

A core set of entrypoint, wrapper and utils code for Point Network.

Functionality​

Provides wrappers to main libraries for deployment as well as initialization of services required for the node.

Input Sources​

  • Point Executable

Output Destinations​

  • Various based on the libraries and modules called.

Libraries​

See all other modules for the libraries used.

Modifications​

None at the moment.

DB​

Type​

Database Module

Functionality​

Provides database schema, persistence logic using LevelDB wrapper.

Input Sources​

  • Client Storage Module

Output Destinations​

  • Any module that needs to fetch stored files.

Libraries​

Level JS is used as a wrapper for LevelDB

Modifications​

None at the moment.

Network​

Type​

Network Module

Functionality​

Includes DHT network (kademlia js), key value management and a bridge to the blockchain. Essentially it is for Point Network node discovery and communication establishment between peers.

Input Sources​

  • Kademlia peer nodes, ZWeb Client.

Output Destinations​

  • Ethereum Blockchain, LevelDB and other Kademlia peer nodes using RPC.

Libraries​

Kademlia JS, BSON parser (good-bson), @deadcanaries/kadence

Modifications​

Improvements are noted in the source code ‘todo’ comments.

Threads​

Type​

Encryption Module

Functionality​

For encryption / decryption process

Input Sources​

  • Encrypted files from the storage layer

Output Destinations​

  • Decrypted files

Libraries​

Crypto JS

Modifications​

Module could be renamed to Encryption.

Truffle / Smart Contracts​

Type​

Solidity Smart Contracts for Point Network applications.

Functionality​

Provides Blockchain layer data for Point Network such as Identity, File Hashes, Ownership and so on.

Input Sources​

  • Storage Layer, Client

Output Destinations​

  • Hashes back to the Point Network Node.

Libraries​

Truffle

Modifications​

Utility / helper methods such as _isValidHandle and _toLower can be imported from utility libraries of which OpenZeppelin being a very popular solution to use for example Utilities