finished motivation

Chapters/Introduction.tex

@@ -5,47 +5,3 @@
 This chapter introduces the Clan project, articulates its fundamental
 objectives, outlines the key components, and examines the driving
 factors motivating its development.
-
-\section{Motivation}
-
-Peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies and decentralization have undergone
-significant growth and evolution in recent years. These technologies
-form the backbone of various systems, including P2P Edge
-Computing—particularly in the context of the Internet of Things
-(IoT)—Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), and Blockchain platforms such
-as Ethereum. P2P architectures enable more democratic,
-censorship-resistant, and fault-tolerant systems by reducing reliance
-on single points of failure \cite{shukla_towards_2021}.
-
-However, to fully realize these benefits, a P2P system must deploy
-its nodes across a diverse set of entities. Greater diversity in
-hosting increases the network’s resilience to censorship and systemic failures.
-
-Despite this, recent trends in Ethereum node hosting reveal a
-significant reliance on centralized cloud providers. Notably, Amazon,
-Hetzner, and OVH collectively host 70\% of all Ethereum nodes, as
-illustrated in Figure \ref{fig:ethernodes_hosting}.
-
-\begin{figure}[H]
-  \centering
-  \includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{Figures/ethernodes_hosting.png}
-  \caption{Distribution of Ethereum nodes hosted by various providers
-  \cite{noauthor_isps_nodate}}
-  \label{fig:ethernodes_hosting}
-\end{figure}
-
-The centralized nature of these providers and their domicile within the
-same regulatory jurisdiction—the United States—introduces vulnerability.
-Such a configuration allows for possible governmental intervention,
-which could lead to network shutdowns or manipulation by leveraging
-control over these cloud services.
-
-The reliance on cloud-based solutions is driven by their ease of use,
-reliability, and the significant technical barriers associated with
-self-hosting solutions. These barriers include the need for technical
-expertise and the often unreliable nature of personally managed
-hosting. Recognizing this gap, the Clan project is proposed to
-alleviate these barriers, making the process of self-hosting as
-straightforward and reliable as using a cloud provider. The goal is
-to democratize the hosting of P2P nodes, enhancing the overall
-robustness and autonomy of decentralized networks.

Chapters/Motivation.tex

@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+\chapter{Motivation} % Main chapter title
+
+\label{Motivation}
+
+This chapter introduces the Clan project, articulates its fundamental
+objectives, outlines the key components, and examines the driving
+factors motivating its development.
+
+Peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies and decentralization have undergone
+significant growth and evolution in recent years. These technologies
+form the backbone of various systems, including P2P Edge
+Computing—particularly in the context of the Internet of Things
+(IoT)—Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), and Blockchain platforms such
+as Ethereum. P2P architectures enable more democratic,
+censorship-resistant, and fault-tolerant systems by reducing reliance
+on single points of failure \cite{shukla_towards_2021}.
+
+However, to fully realize these benefits, a P2P system must deploy
+its nodes across a diverse set of entities. Greater diversity in
+hosting increases the network’s resilience to censorship and systemic failures.
+
+Despite this, recent trends in Ethereum node hosting reveal a
+significant reliance on centralized cloud providers. Notably, Amazon,
+Hetzner, and OVH collectively host 70\% of all Ethereum nodes, as
+illustrated in Figure \ref{fig:ethernodes_hosting}.
+
+\begin{figure}[H]
+  \centering
+  \includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{Figures/ethernodes_hosting.png}
+  \caption{Distribution of Ethereum nodes hosted by various providers
+  \cite{noauthor_isps_nodate}}
+  \label{fig:ethernodes_hosting}
+\end{figure}
+
+The centralized nature of these providers and their domicile within the
+same regulatory jurisdiction—the United States—introduces vulnerability.
+Such a configuration allows for possible governmental intervention,
+which could lead to network shutdowns or manipulation by leveraging
+control over these cloud services.
+
+The reliance on cloud-based solutions is largely attributed to their
+ease of use and reliability, as self-hosting introduces several
+technical and operational challenges, which include:
+
+\begin{itemize}
+  \item \textbf{NAT Traversal:} Establishing direct connections
+    between peers located behind Network Address Translation (NAT)
+    devices is complex and often requires workarounds such as port
+    forwarding or relay servers.
+
+  \item \textbf{Dynamic IP Addresses:} Peers often have non-static
+    (dynamic) IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers
+    (ISPs), which makes maintaining stable connections difficult
+    without additional solutions like Dynamic DNS services.
+
+  \item \textbf{Data Reliability:} Ensuring data durability and
+    preventing loss due to hardware failures, system crashes, or
+    insufficient backup mechanisms can be a challenge for individual
+    users managing their own infrastructure.
+
+  \item \textbf{Security Concerns:} Self-hosted systems must be
+    protected from malicious actors, including securing data in
+    transit, authenticating connections, and mitigating attacks such
+    as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS).
+
+  \item \textbf{Maintenance Overhead:} Regular updates, hardware
+    repairs, and troubleshooting require time and effort, which may
+    discourage users unfamiliar with system administration.
+
+  \item \textbf{Steep Learning Curve:} Non-technical users face a
+    high entry barrier, as hosting and configuring their own P2P
+    nodes often involve understanding complex networking and software
+    setup processes.
+
+  \item \textbf{High Network Churn:} In dynamic P2P environments
+    where peers frequently join and leave, ensuring consistent
+    availability of services and maintaining network stability
+    present additional challenges.
+
+  \item \textbf{Uptime and Availability:} Keeping self-hosted systems
+    online and operational 24/7 can be difficult, especially in
+    situations of power outages, hardware failures, or limited
+    internet connectivity.
+\end{itemize}
+
+Recognizing this gap, the Clan project aims to address these
+challenges by simplifying the process of self-hosting, making it as
+straightforward, accessible, and reliable as using a cloud provider.
+The project's vision is to empower users to deploy and manage their
+own private P2P networks with minimal technical expertise,
+significantly lowering the barrier to entry.
+
+As illustrated in Figure \ref{fig:vision-stages}, the proposed
+solution includes a user-friendly web interface. This interface
+allows users to design and customize their private P2P networks with
+just a few clicks. To further simplify the process, the inclusion of
+a Large Language Model (LLM) is envisioned to assist users throughout
+the network creation process. The LLM would provide contextual
+guidance, answer configuration-related queries, and help resolve
+potential issues, thus making the system approachable for a wider
+audience without requiring advanced technical skills.
+
+\begin{figure}[h!]
+  \centering
+
+  % Row 1
+  \begin{subfigure}{0.45\textwidth}
+    \centering
+    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{Figures/vision/stage1.png}
+    \caption{Stage 1}
+  \end{subfigure}
+  \hfill
+  \begin{subfigure}{0.45\textwidth}
+    \centering
+    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{Figures/vision/stage2.png}
+    \caption{Stage 2}
+  \end{subfigure}
+
+  \vspace{1em} % Add spacing between rows
+
+  % Row 2
+  \begin{subfigure}{0.45\textwidth}
+    \centering
+    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{Figures/vision/stage3.png}
+    \caption{Stage 3}
+  \end{subfigure}
+  \hfill
+  \begin{subfigure}{0.45\textwidth}
+    \centering
+    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{Figures/vision/stage4.png}
+    \caption{Stage 4}
+  \end{subfigure}
+
+  \vspace{1em} % Add spacing between rows
+
+  % Row 3
+  \begin{subfigure}{0.45\textwidth}
+    \centering
+    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{Figures/vision/stage5.png}
+    \caption{Stage 5}
+  \end{subfigure}
+  \hfill
+  \begin{subfigure}{0.45\textwidth}
+    \centering
+    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{Figures/vision/stage6.png}
+    \caption{Stage 6}
+  \end{subfigure}
+
+  \vspace{1em} % Add spacing between rows
+
+  % Row 4
+  \begin{subfigure}{0.45\textwidth}
+    \centering
+    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{Figures/vision/stage7.png}
+    \caption{Stage 7}
+  \end{subfigure}
+  \hfill
+  \begin{subfigure}{0.45\textwidth}
+    \centering
+    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{Figures/vision/stage8.png}
+    \caption{Stage 8}
+  \end{subfigure}
+
+  \caption{Visionary Webinterface to Setup a Clan Family Network}
+  \label{fig:vision-stages}
+\end{figure}

main.tex

@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@
 \usepackage{mathpazo} % Use the Palatino font by default
 \usepackage{svg}
 \usepackage{acronym}
+\usepackage{subcaption} % For subfigures
+
 \usepackage[backend=bibtex,style=numeric,natbib=true]{biblatex} %
 % Use the bibtex backend with the authoryear citation style (which
 % resembles APA)
@@ -244,8 +246,8 @@ and Management}} % Your department's name and URL, this is used in
   \addchaptertocentry{\acknowledgementname} % Add the
   % acknowledgements to the table of contents
 
-  I am very grateful to my team members Mic92, Lassulus, Hsjobeki,
+  I am very grateful to my team members Mic92, Lassulus, W, Hsjobeki,
-  DavHau, Kenji and Timo with whom
+  DavHau, Kenji, Paul and Timo with whom
   I worked together with to create the Clan framework.
   As well as my supervisor, Ber Lorke, for his guidance and support
   during my research.
@@ -333,9 +335,11 @@ and Management}} % Your department's name and URL, this is used in
 
 % Include the chapters of the thesis as separate files from the Chapters folder
 % Uncomment the lines as you write the chapters
-\include{Chapters/Introduction}
+\include{Chapters/Motivation}
 \include{Chapters/Methodology}
 
+\include{Chapters/Introduction}
+
 %\include{Chapters/Chapter1}
 %\include{Chapters/Chapter2}
 %\include{Chapters/Chapter3}