Ocaps and zero-knowledge storage

Distributed SES
#1

Hi especially to @warner, and @markm,

My interest in Distributed Jessie stems from a free software app (desktop, mobile, and web) I have been planning to provide a secure local compute (i.e. a private vat for Jessie) and zero-knowledge storage services. It would also optionally be a client for distributed compute and zero-knowledge storage services. Part of the business model I have is to supply such services at a low cost, partly subsidised by a different funding source specific to the app, and extend the app’s functionality by allowing users to share ocaps within their web of trust.

I understand the basics behind CapTP and vats for distributed Jessie computation, but I have not started thinking about the ocap patterns that would be sufficient to provide zero-knowledge storage similar to Tahoe-LAFS, with options for fine-grained read or write sharing. I won’t hazard any guesses, as I’m pretty sure at least some of you have been thinking about this already and I don’t want to make a fool of myself (yet). :wink:

So, I’d like to solicit any random thoughts people might have about this topic!

Thanks,
Michael.

2 Likes
#2

I think that a good starting point to work from is conceptualizing the requirements of the storage interface, which is more easier to consider starting from the most general form of storage interface attenuated by the restrictions for realizing the desired “zero-knowledge” effects. Sorry, it’s abstract Tuesday here today :slight_smile:

#3

Consider this as an answer to your solicition of random thoughts.

As far as I understand Tahoe-LAFS, it isnt quite fully zero knowledge storage but gets very damn close though.

What is leaked, to the storage servers, is the coarse grained access patterns and timings to immutable files and directories and for mutable files and directories the amount and frequencies of changes made to them.

Perhaps reading about KeyKOS space banks might evoke some ideas. Pretty much one could think of what you have in mind as a vat with a spacebank whose backing storage is Tahoe-LAFS based.

Also, Mojo Nation and Eternity Service come to mind.

#4

Excellent pointers!

I found:
http://www.moyak.com/papers/mojo-nation.html
and:
https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/eternity/eternity.html

Thanks so much for your comment, I will digest the references carefully.