Despite its global reach, the internet remains a centralized network. The majority of data stored behind the internet is stored on servers, either physical or virtual, in massive server farms or cloud platforms. IPFS is a decentralized network implementation. So, how does IPFS work?
What Is IPFS?
IPFS is a decentralized network implementation. Git, the version control software, is one of the most popular decentralized systems. Git is a distributed system because every developer who has cloned a repository has a copy of the entire repository on their computer, including the history . If the central repository is destroyed, any copy of it can be used to restore it. IPFS applies the distributed concept to file storage and data retrieval.
Juan Benet created IPFS, which is maintained by Protocol Labs, the company he founded. They combined the decentralized nature of Git with the distributed, bandwidth-saving techniques of torrents to create a filing system that works across all IPFS nodes.
How Does IPFS Work?
The IPFS decentralized web is made up of all connected computers, known as nodes. Nodes have the ability to store data and make it available to anyone who requests it.
When a file or a web page is requested, a copy of the file is cached on their node. As more people request that data, there will be more cached copies. Any node—or combination of nodes—that has the file on it can fulfill subsequent requests for that file. The burden of delivering data and fulfilling requests is gradually distributed among many nodes.
This necessitates the creation of a new type of web address. The decentralized web employs content-based routing rather than address-based routing, which requires you to know the location of the data and provide a specific URL to that data.
You don't say where the data is; you ask for it, and it is located and retrieved for you. Because the data is stored on multiple computers, each of those computers can simultaneously feed portions of the data to your computer, similar to a torrent download. This is done to reduce latency, bandwidth, and to avoid bottlenecks caused by a single, central server.
Moving away from the centralized model eliminates a point of attack for hackers. Most people's immediate concern will be that their files, images, and other media will be stored on other people's computers.
That is not the case. IPFS is not something to which you connect and upload data. It's not a distributed, collaborative Dropbox. It's something you can get involved with by hosting a node or paying to use a professionally provisioned node hosted by a cloud service And unless you choose to share or publish something, no one else will be able to access it. Indeed, the term "uploading" is deceptive. You're actually importing files into your own node.
If you want a file to be accessible to others but only a few people should have access to it, encrypt it before importing it. Data transmission is encrypted in both directions, but imported files are not encrypted by default. This gives you complete control over the encryption technology you use. IPFS does not promote a specific type of file storage encryption as the "official" encryption.
Is Storing On IPFS Free?
IPFS is a free and open network. As a result, anyone with the correct CID can access network content. One project that has piqued my interest is web3. storage, which is a free service that reduces the friction associated with using decentralized storage.
Closing Thoughts
Nothing will suddenly replace the existing, centralized web, but things will evolve over time. Perhaps the IPFS is a preview of what it could become. That is why I am explaining to you about “how does IPFS work?” here.
