Unchained is a federated network of independent and self-hosted nodes with
different functions and responsibilities. Each instance is owned and operated by
a different person or organization and has its own rules and moderation
policies. This means that Unchained is not a single centralized service, but a
network of interconnected communities that share the same values and principles.
A worker is a node that is responsible for processing and validating data that
is requested either by the network or by other nodes. Workers are the backbone
of the network and are responsible for maintaining the integrity and security of
the system.
A broker is a node that acts as an intermediary between workers and consumers.
Brokers are responsible for routing requests to the appropriate worker and
ensuring that the data is delivered in a timely and efficient manner.
A consumer is a node that requests data from the network. Consumers can be
individual users, applications, or other nodes that need a piece of data to
be processed or validated.
The Unchained network is designed to be decentralized and resilient to
censorship and control. By distributing the responsibilities of processing and
validating data across multiple nodes, the network can operate
independently of any single entity or organization.
The federated nature of the network also allows for greater diversity and
flexibility in terms of governance and moderation. Each node is free to set its
own rules and policies, which means that the network as a whole can
accommodate a wide range of different communities and use cases.
With a federated network, each node is responsible for its data and resources,
which means that the network as a whole is more resilient to attacks and
failures. In a peer-to-peer network, all nodes are equal and share the same
responsibilities, which can make the network more vulnerable to centralization
and control.
Furthermore, a federated network allows for greater scalability and efficiency
by distributing the workload across multiple nodes. This means that the network
can handle a larger number of requests and process data more quickly and
reliably.
By separating responsibilities between workers, brokers, and consumers, we allow
each node to focus on its core functions and optimize its performance. Each node
can choose to specialize in a particular area or provide a general purpose
service to the network, which allows for greater diversity and innovation in the
ecosystem.
For example, a worker node might specialize in processing large datasets
performing complex computations, or to simply signing and sending sensor data on
a small IoT device. A broker node might specialize in routing requests to the
appropriate worker or optimizing the network topology for better performance.
A consumer node might specialize in aggregating data from multiple sources or
providing a user-friendly interface for interacting with the network. Consumers
are also free to store data in different backends. For example, a consumer might
choose to store data in a decentralized storage network like IPFS or a
traditional cloud storage provider like AWS or send it to a blockchain
(Oracles).
By allowing each node to focus on its core functions, we can create a more
efficient and resilient network that can adapt to a wide range of different use
cases and requirements.
