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