Data stream routing
Understanding Lumerin: What is the Lumerin node?
The Lumerin node is critical in the data routing and commoditization process
Before we start…
Let’s first do a quick overview of the Lumerin Protocol. When we talk about Lumerin, we’re referring to a decentralized, peer-to-peer blockchain protocol that allows for the exchange, rerouting, and redirection of data streams using smart contracts.
This immediately raises the first question: what are data streams, and what does it mean to reroute them?
Data streams refer to the continuous flow of data transmitted from one node of a network to another. Although the term may seem odd, we constantly interact with them all the time.
For example, a security camera that’s recording what happens at your doorstep is continuously streaming data (video image, timestamp, alerts, etc.) to whatever device and software you use to monitor it.
Another example — relevant to the crypto industry — of a data stream is hashrate. Behind the scenes, ASIC miners perform millions of calculations per second in order to find a valid hash for a block under the current difficulty parameters.
At the same time, the mining node continuously sends the results of those calculations — called shares — to the mining pool, which then pays the corresponding rewards. This entire process constitutes one data stream.
So, about data stream routing…
Routing refers to the process of selecting the shortest and most reliable path over which to send data through a network to its ultimate destination. Networks do this through protocols which break the information into “packets” and send those packets to their destinations separately.
These protocols make a distinction between hosts and gateways.
- Hosts are the end system to which data is ultimately deliverable. They are responsible for routing packets that originate on one host only, fulfilling local needs for routing.
- Gateways are the routers that effectively route data between two networks. They are responsible for routing all traffic regardless of its originator.
In order to work, a host has to trust a gateway — router — for routing traffic to remote systems across the network. The trusted router then sends the information across networks according to specific algorithms.
Reinventing data routing through Lumerin
The Lumerin protocol combines the messaging layer of traditional routing protocols with a smart contract component, enabling a new way to send, share, and use data through a blockchain network.
In other words, Lumerin enables complete, programmatic control over how and when data and communications are routed via web3 smart contracts.
Let’s go back to the hashrate case: With the Lumerin Protocol, miners will be able to reroute their data stream — hashrate — through a network according to a set of immutable rules written on the blockchain.
For example, using the Lumerin Protocol, we can build a marketplace where miners can create contracts that can be purchased in the marketplace. Then, buyers can reroute that hashrate to their own mining pool account by being the first person that deposits the total asking price in LMR.
That way, they would effectively be selling their hashrate on-chain and on an exclusive peer-to-peer basis. In fact, that’s exactly what we’re building now.
Lumerin achieves this thanks to a critical aspect of its architecture: the Lumerin node.
Lumerin node: Smart contract-powered proxy routing
The Lumerin node acts as a “switchboard” that reroutes data from one socket to another. Remember hosts and gateways? The Lumerin node fulfills the gateway role, but instead of routing data through algorithms, it does so through smart contracts that anyone can write and record on the blockchain.
An internet socket is one endpoint of a two-way communication link between two programs running on a network.
Concretely speaking, the Lumerin node is a software program that connects and maintains constant communication with the network. As a result, the node can access on-chain information — which is public and open to everyone — and use it to reroute data according to it.
Let’s explain that with the hashrate example:
- On the marketplace, a miner creates a contract to sell 500 TH/s for 1,000 LMR.
- A buyer deposits 1,000 LMR on the contract, acquiring the hashrate. They enter their mining pool account details on the contract.
- The contract’s state is changed from “Available” to “Running,” triggering an event that the Lumerin node listens for to know how and when to reroute hashrate to the buyer’s pool.
- As hashrate starts flowing, the node keeps “talking” to the network to update on the delivered hashrate. This is done to ensure that payments are not released before the hashrate is delivered to the buyer. As the miner fulfills his agreement, the contract releases the buyer’s funds to their address.
That’s it! Through the Lumerin node, not only users can reroute data streams in an automated, customized manner but also validate its delivery and integrity.
Countless possibilities await
Pretty much all information on the internet is sent through TCP/IP protocols. This means that the Lumerin Protocol will support countless applications and use cases for these types of data.
Just for fun, let’s play with a few of the possibilities.
Videos are essentially data — image and audio — streams. The Lumerin Protocol could be used as a network for decentralized streaming, where streamers and producers can create a contract — just like in the hashrate marketplace — that gives access and streams their content to everyone who deposits the requested funds. Decentralized Netflix, anyone?
How about video and telephone calls? You could use smart contracts and the Lumerin node to whitelist and ban specific sockets — in this case, IP addresses. That way, you could control when and how someone is allowed to contact you. For example, you can establish a communication channel for 7 days between 5–9PM, letting the channel expire afterwards.
We have the tech, all we need now is the ideas. That said, we’re excited to see what the wonderful crypto community comes up with to implement this technology as best as possible.
If you want to learn more about Lumerin, our vision, and our project, make sure to pay us a visit at Lumerin.io.
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