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The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is best visualized as
a decentralized, content-addressed Merkle Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), rather than a traditional hierarchical folder structure. It behaves like a combination of Git (versioning), BitTorrent (peer-to-peer distribution), and the WWW.Here is a breakdown of how to visualize the IPFS file system:
1. The Core Structure: Content Addressing & CID
Instead of searching for a file by its location (
/home/user/file.txt), IPFS finds files by a unique cryptographic hash of their content, called a Content Identifier (CID).- Tamper-proof: If one byte of a file changes, the entire CID changes.
- Visualizing a File: Imagine a file broken into smaller, named blocks (chunks). Each chunk has its own hash, and the master hash (CID) acts as a directory pointing to these blocks.
2. The Merkle DAG (Data Structure)
IPFS organizes data using a Merkle DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph).
- Nodes: The "blocks" of data.
- Edges: The links (hashes) between blocks.
- Root Hash: The top-level CID that points to the rest of the structure.
Visual Representation:
text
[Root CID / CID_Dir]
/ \
[CID_File1] [CID_File2]
/ \
[BlockA] [BlockB]
3. UnixFS (Files and Directories)
IPFS uses a format called UnixFS to represent files, directories, and symlinks within this DAG.
- Files: Larger files are chunked into a tree structure, with the root hash identifying the file.
- Directories: A directory is just a special block that lists the CIDs of the files inside it.
4. The Network & Pinning
Unlike a central server, IPFS is a P2P network.
- Caching: When a node requests a file, it caches it. The file is then available to be served from that node to others.
- Pinning: To ensure data isn't deleted, files must be "pinned" (stored) on at least one IPFS node. If not pinned, files may disappear from the network.
5. Visualizing the Ecosystem (Tools)
You can visualize your local IPFS data and network connections using:
- IPFS WebUI: Accessible via
http://localhost:5001/webuiwhen running an IPFS node. - IPFS Desktop: Provides a desktop GUI that allows you to manage files, visualize your peers on a world map, and explore the "Merkle Forest".
- Browser Extensions: IPFS Companion helps interact with the network via browser.
Summary Visual
Imagine a folder structure where every file, folder, and sub-folder is replaced by a long, unique, cryptographic hash code. If you share a folder, you only share the top-level hash, which implicitly unlocks all the content below it because the links are based on content, not location.
![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="128" height="128"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="32" height="32"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
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File systems
IPFS Docs
https://docs.ipfs.tech › concepts › file-systems
IPFS Docs
https://docs.ipfs.tech › concepts › file-systems
Mutable File System (MFS) is a tool built into IPFS that lets you treat files like you would a regular name-based filesystem.Read more
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