Hi everyone,
I’ve been following this project since the days it was known as MaidSafe and later as the SAFE Network. It’s been a couple of years since I last dived into the technical aspects, and I see there’s now a lot that’s changed as the project has evolved into Autonomi.
Back in the day, there was a great document called the Primer (for reference: SAFE Network Primer - Updated Feb 2023) that explained the network’s internals in technical, low-level detail—covering topics like node ageing, close groups, data chains, etc. I’m trying to figure out if there’s an updated resource or “Primer” for the new architecture, or if some of these concepts are still relevant in the current design.
Specifically, I’m curious if the following features or terms still exist, and if so, how they might have changed:
- Node Ageing
- Close Groups / Disjoint Sections
- SectionAuthority / NetworkAuthority
- Dynamic Membership
- Data Chains (e.g., Data Chains - What, Why, How?)
- Consensus (e.g., SAFE Consensus Overview)
- Groups and Sections
- Resource Proof
- Node personas (data manager, client manager)
- Connection Anonymization Using Hops
- Authenticator
- NFS (Network File System)
I notice many of these might have been removed or replaced, so I’d love confirmation on whether they still exist or if the network now has a more “standard” Kademlia-like approach (which is perfectly fine—just trying to understand the new basics).
Also, I’d like to learn more about the new system’s approach to:
- Replication: How does the network decide when and how to replicate data?
- Node IDs: Are IDs generated by the node itself or assigned by the network?
I’ve looked at the Autonomi Docs, but most of the information there focuses on how developers can build on the network, rather than describing the low-level internals or the new core architecture.
If there’s no updated “Primer”-type document available right now, could someone point me to any existing resources or give me a high-level explanation of how these elements are being handled in the new architecture? Any help is greatly appreciated!