Architecture Overview
The Geo Web is an open information network. It's conceptually (and philosophically) similar to the World Wide Web in many ways. Just as several underlying protocols and components create the experience of "surfing the web," the Geo Web is defined with a multi-layer technology stack.
High-level overview of the Geo Web architecture
While not 100% analogous, we can compare the Geo Web stack to the more familiar web stack as a starting point for deeper technical exploration. Check out the table below to start building your mental model of the Geo Web:
| Function | Traditional Web | Geo Web | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namespace | Domain Name System (DNS) | Digital Land Registry Contracts | Geo Web coordinates are like IP addresses. Parcels are like domain names. |
| Lookup | DNS Servers | Geo Web Subgraph | The Graph network allows the Geo Web subgraph to scale and perform like DNS without centralization or an extensive infrastructure build out. |
| Namespace Registration | Domain registrars (e.g. GoDaddy) | Cadastre | Cadastres provide a visual interface for claiming, managing, trading, and viewing Geo Web land parcels. |
| Publishing & Content Management | Content Management Systems (e.g. Wordpress) | Cadastre | Cadastres can provide landholders diverse publishing tools to anchor content to their parcels—similar to the services website builders and CMSs offer website proprietors. |
| Content Transfer | Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) | IPFS | IPFS is a peer-to-peer transfer protocol, so concepts around file storage differ from HTTP's client-server assumptions. |
| Content Formatting | Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) | MUD | The MUD framework is used to define the state of the Geo Web's Autonomous World content layer |
| Archive | Wayback Machine | Filecoin | Filecoin is used as the archival complement to IPFS & Ceramic's "hot storage" for Geo Web content. |
| Browsing Interface | Web Browsers (eg Chrome) | Spatial Browser | Competition across browsers will be encouraged on the Geo Web as on the WWW. |
In the remainder of this section, we'll explore these components first from a functional perspective and at a detailed technical level. This section's target audience is developers and technical users, but non-developers can benefit from this information as well.