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What is iExec?

The whole world is excited about cloud computing right now, and for a good reason. There are so many amazing projects, apps, and services that have come to be thanks to cloud computing.

iExec is a solution that is taking cloud computing to the next level, by decentralizing it. essentially, this is all about making something that is already great, even better.

The idea behind iExec is to provide decentralized apps that run on the blockchain a scalable, easy to access and secure platform by making computing resources and data sets available. iExec is built on Ethereum smart contracts.

There is a lot of research that has gone into the iExec project regarding Desktop Grid computing. The Desktop Grid is also referred to as Volunteer Computing.

It is a scenario where users volunteer their underutilized computing resources to the internet, in the process making it possible to run humongous parallel applications that would in most cases be very expensive to run, especially since they would demand a supercomputer.

In order to meet the demands and challenges that come with this kind of technology, iExec is based on XtremWeb-HEP. This is an open source Desktop Grid software that is solid and has matured over the years.

Xtrem-HEP allows iExec to implement a number of features core to successfully seeing through the vision of decentralizing cloud computing, such as the availability of hybrid private/public infrastructure, deploying virtual images, supporting multiple users on the platform, fault tolerance, accountability, security, data management and so much more.

The internet, as we know it, is amazing. What iExec is doing, upon fruition, will make the internet even better. This is the next step in the internet revolution.

What is the problem that iExec Solves?

There have been a lot of challenges that do not just face the internet, but also blockchain computing since its inception some years back. Ethereum is one of the blockchain projects that has presented an innovative approach for running decentralized apps. Users on Ethereum are able to write smart contracts which are eventually run on the virtual machine.

With this in mind, it is possible to build and execute important services like crowdfunding, finance, insurance, investment and predicting trends in global markets. All of these are services that at the moment are centralized, and are under the control of the respective entities behind them.

Different blockchain projects have shown a lot of promise. However, most of these suffer from limited computing resources through which the decentralized apps can run.

Other than that, other challenges include a high latency protocol, inefficient virtual machines, and insufficient space. The fact is that over time, blockchain platforms will overcome these challenges. However, the demand for additional capabilities will keep increasing, and this poses serious questions on the feasibility of blockchain projects.

Other than the inherent blockchain challenges, there are also challenges that have plagued conventional computing infrastructure over the years. Let’s look at complete decentralization of apps, for example. The current cloud infrastructure is unable to meet the demands of these projects. Besides, there is already an outcry over the insufficient computing power through which scientific enterprises and power-hungry data industries can run large applications, and process large chunks of data.

This kind of computing power is only available through High-Performance Computing infrastructure (HPC) and the cloud. Unfortunately, these solutions are not affordable either.

This makes them a preserve of the very few who understand the structure and operation and can also afford them. This also effectively locks out innovative small businesses from being a part of the great internet revolution, because more often they do not have the experience, expertise and cannot afford to run HPC platforms.

Their only alternative is to work with the popular cloud infrastructure vendors like Amazon, who unfortunately are very expensive, especially when running applications and services that are resource intensive, such as GPU rendering.

Besides, operating a data center is a resource-intensive affair. You need a serious cooling system when running servers, which combined together, consume a lot of energy.

The ramifications of this will not just affect your balance sheet, but the impact on the environment is also obvious. Looking at such challenges, it is imperative that the cloud needs to be decentralized. By enabling blockchain technology on the cloud, we can also look forward to a low cost of infrastructure utilization.

How does iExec Solve the problem?

iExec plans to build a decentralized cloud infrastructure, through which they can support distributed applications based on the blockchain platform.

This will also make high-performance computing cost-effective, which is ideal for innovative small businesses and individuals who have in the past been somewhat locked out of experiencing the best of cloud computing. In essence, iExec is making cloud computing open to everyone.

By decentralizing the cloud base on the blockchain, entities and individuals are now able to experience affordable, secure and immediate access to some of the best computing infrastructure, giving them a competitive edge that they were lacking before.

The decentralized apps on iExec will be able to look for and make use of all the computing resources that are available at their disposal, including servers, datasets, and applications.

By decentralizing the cloud, iExec will create new frontiers for investment through the aggressive use of the current infrastructure available.

This is possible because companies on iExec will be offering computer farms, storage, data provision centers, SaaS applications, web hosting and so much more, allowing businesses to engage one another without all the red tape that exists currently.

To tackle the energy concern with respect to air conditioning and running the servers, iExec is getting servers away from data centers.

This will eventually make access easier and affordable for users, and in the long run, a distributed cloud will help to decrease the environmental footprint that these data centers have been amassing over the years, and at the same time bring them as close to consumers and producers as possible.

All decentralized businesses are catered for. The following are some of the respective needs of such businesses that iExec takes into consideration:

Decentralized app providers should be able to perform their computations off the blockchain, on demand.
A drastic reduction in the cost of computing for decentralized apps by the app providers, through a reliable, robust and safe computing infrastructure.
Access to a wider market pool for data providers, especially when they integrate their products and services into the iExec marketplace
Increase ROI on existing infrastructure, and monetize underused computing resources by server providers.

What makes iExec better than the competitors?

iExec is offering several benefits that make it one of the best alternatives for anyone who is interested in cloud computing, without the traditional hindrances that have made cloud computing difficult to access.

Energy Consumption

Traditionally, data centers are very greedy when it comes to energy consumption. This doesn’t only apply to managing the servers, but also for cooling purposes. To address this challenge, iExec is moving servers away from data centers. A distributed cloud service therefore eventually will reduce the energy consumption.

Affordable

The cloud as it is right now is very expensive for small businesses. iExec is introducing a means of utilizing the underused computing resources, which makes sure that everyone has access to affordable cloud services. In fact, the current existing computing infrastructure should also benefit from new market frontiers, through which they can experience aggressive usage.

Resource Use

Decentralized apps are not resource intensive. Take an example where a smart contract should execute a resource intensive algorithm for a cryptographic function. iExec makes it easier for the smart contract to get access to a computer, and once it has executed the function, the payment is instant.

Organized Market Place

iExec is creating an organized marketplace where users are able to find any of the computing resources that they need. This particularly applies to those who are looking for new technology with affordable GPU usage.

Other than that, it is very easy to advertise computing resources to anyone who needs it. The situation at the moment is that the large cloud providers are the only ones who are able to attract and serve most users. Through iExec, however, even smaller cloud providers have a fair chance.

Service Quality

The provision of cloud services is done under an SLA (Service Level Agreement). This determines the conditions for correct use of computing resources. Vendors, for example, must guarantee quality services through measurable metrics which can be audited as proof of compliance with the SLA.

By design, the blockchain features resource use traceability, which makes it possible for providers and customers to ascertain that the SLA has been duly fulfilled. The SLA also explains the roles of each party, especially in terms of reporting faults, and payment for compensation should there be a breach in the SLA.

Easing Data Access

One of the benefits that iExec has over the competition is that it is bringing data as close to consumers and owners as possible. Through distributed cloud computing and shared resources, iExec is doing away with the need for expensive supercomputers. Individuals are now able to use basic computers, laptops, and even their smartphones to access whatever they need on the blockchain.

A distributed cloud means that processing intelligence is moving to where the data is. therefore, data movement is reduced, and in the process improving latency, quality of services rendered and latency.

How can iExec be categorized?

iExec is a decentralized cloud computing platform built on blockchain that offers a decentralized marketplace for cloud resources. It is an innovative space where users and entities are able to monetize their servers, applications and data sets.

What’s iExec’s vision on Security?

iExec offers security in the following levels:

Communication

It is expected that sensitive data might be exchanged within the network. For this reason, iExec uses XWHEP middleware to offer private communication through the TLS protocol. This identifies the communicating parties within the network and encrypts the communication messages. The TLS protocol uses an electronic key to encrypt all communication.

Authentication

To execute any command on iExec, you will require more than just connecting to the scheduler. Clients and workers must have valid credentials to enable the scheduler to identify them. the acceptable credential types on the server include login keys, X509 certificate, OpenId, and OAuth.

Authorization

Once authenticated on the server, users will acquire user rights. The user rights determine the level of authorization, which will either allow or deny the user the ability to execute their requested actions. Authorization is classified from most privileged (super_user) to least privileged (standard_user).

Access Rights

All objects on iExec have owners. Owners have full access to their objects by default. However, depending on the access rights to the objects, any user should have access to objects, even the ones they do not own. Access rights, therefore, can either deny or allow access to the objects that users are associated with.

Confinement

XWHEP authorizes all identities and access rights to objects. As a result, it also confines all the objects that it manages. A group of authorizations and access rights within XWHEP is referred to as a confinement. Jobs, data, and applications are confined, as are workers, clients and users.

Through confinement, distributed entities like workers and clients are allowed or denied read, write and execution access to the objects confined.

Data

Data is exchanged over the iExec network between servers, clients, and workers. The security protocol for data security is covered under communication security through TLS protocol and encryption.

Examples of iExec use cases/applications

iExec Marketplace

This is an open and global market fully driven by demand and supply for cloud services. Providers are able to define a price for the services they are offering, while users have access to computing resources on demand.

iExec SDK

The iExec SDK offers JS and CLI libraries through which developers should be able to overcome some of the scalability challenges inherent to Ethereum, thereby executing their services through iExec off-chain.

DApp Store

This is the store where all the decentralized apps on iExec are listed. Developers can use this to improve their visibility, monetize their apps, while users, on the other hand, are able to execute the apps that they need.

Data Wallet

Through this wallet, data providers should be able to monetize their decentralized assets on the market, supported by high-level security. This will help propel innovation and challenge disruptive ecosystems.