CI how it works

Citizen`s Island how does it work?

Part 1 Data Storage

decentralized storage overview

Three Tools to Simplify File Management on the Decentralized Cloud

Alice wants to store her private data safely in the cloud.

She could chose a paid storage provider (SP). But how to decide if this SP can be trusted?

Even with decentralized storage providers (DSP) there’s this same problem of trustworthiness.

How DSP works:

1 the DSP packages Alice’s data in one big file

2 the DSP divides the file in many pieces, e.g. a 1000

3 the DSP stores every piece on a different storage medium, on different computers belonging to different people or companies

4 Alice`s data can only be recovered by accessing at least 500 pieces. That is pretty safe.

The provider or Alice has a key with the addresses of all the parts of her data. So she is able to access her data.

But Alice still has to trust her DSP. People working there receive her raw data and can tamper with it.

Now Alice signs-up for a Citizen`s Island:

1 a private Island is automatically created in a private computer center

2 Alice can chose to automatically encrypt her data and store it

a) in the same computer center or

b) store it decentralized within this computer center or

c) store it decentralized, in pieces, on external storage media on external computers.

In case 2a and 2b:

No people are involved in this process, but is the computer center to be trusted?

This computer center (which is duplicated on several continents) has many servers. Harm can be done theoretically only by hacking more than one third of the servers. Even then financial transactions concerning assets of Citizens are still not possible. There are several administrators, not belonging to just one company. Decisions about the computer center are made following a governance model (see links in part 2). Everyone can sign up to vote on decisions about the center. Decisions to change the governance model that the administrators have to follow, can only be made with e.g. a ¾ majority.

This type of organization is called  Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). See part 2 below.

In case 2c: SWARM or IPFS is used to store Alice`s data.

Alice choses her Citizen`s Island as a trusted platform. Whenever she changes her mind, she can move her data to another provider or platform.

Citizen`s Island uses a database with blockchain characteristics: BigchainDB

In this way we are able to combine the characteristics of a common database (high speed access, high volume data storage) with blockchain security (immutable blocks).

Swarm, IPFS and BigchainDB: Comparing Data Storage and Decentralization