Getting Started with vRAM
vRAM is an alternative memory solution for developers building EOS dApps that is RAM-compatible, decentralized, and aims to enable storing & retrieving of potentially unlimited amounts of data affordably and efficiently.
Serving as an EOS Hard Drive, vRAM allows RAM to act as a cache layer for in-operation data only. Data is permanently stored on chain history and indexed by DAPP Service Providers (DSPs), who maintain a copy of the file on distributed file storage systems, such as IPFS. Once it is needed in EOS RAM, the data loaded into a temporary cache table for the duration a smart contract operation. vRAM-compatible smart contracts allow developers to work with multi-index tables, a data structure optimized for efficient data retrieval that is already familiar to them.
In order to optimize for both scalability and decentralization, blockchains must be designed to store the minimum amount of information needed to verify future transaction validity. vRAM gives developers an opportunity to store their dApp data on chain history and have it indexed by DSPs, utilizing RAM resources in order to cache in-use data only.
Today we are releasing the first version of the Zeus SDK, our open-source, cross-platform software development kit. Zeus includes package management and smart contract testing along with numerous other functionalities and is the gateway to accessing vRAM and other DAPP services. In Zeus, every functionality comes in packages called “boxes.” Our first release of Zeus will be minimal and we plan to release many more features that will enhance the dApp development process. More information about the Zeus SDK will be released soon.
By increasing the memory resources available to dApp developers, vRAM paves the way for a range of dApps previously unimaginable due to the systemic limitations of the existing technology stack.
Get started with vRAM
Take a look at a sample contract that utilizes vRAM to store token balances.
For Additional Information
- Visit our repository on Github
- Read more about vRAM in our high-level overview Medium post
- For a more in-depth look at vRAM, visit our whitepaper
- Continue the discussion in our developer’s channel
