ArDrive QuickSync and Permanently publishing ArDrive to the Permaweb
ArDrive, the decentralised storage protocol built on Arweave, has introduced a new feature in version 1.42 of the ArDrive app called QuickSync. It allows users to take a snapshot of their ArDrive drive, reducing load times when opening up the app.
The feature greatly improves the experience for power users with large drives but also creates a better User Experience (UX) for anyone with a smaller one.
ArDrive is not only slowly receiving improvements that will make it as fast as its Web2 equivalents (like Dropbox), but founder Phil Mataras recently ensured that the ArDrive app will be available indefinitely by publishing it to Arweave’s permaweb using… the ArDrive app itself.
Want to learn more?
Let’s dive in!
ArDrive QuickSync
ArDrive is a decentralised blockchain storage platform that offers secure and private storage solutions to users. It leverages the power, security and decentralised traits of the Arweave blockchain to store data, which means that files are stored permanently and cannot be deleted or altered. However, one of the biggest issues with ArDrive was that it sometimes could be slow to load all of a user’s stored files when opening up the web interface/app. This was mainly due to using decentralised storage, which can be slower than centralised storage – at least for the time being.
The QuickSync feature solves this issue by allowing users to take a snapshot of their ArDrive drive. The snapshot is a roll-up of the drive’s ArFS metadata into a single snapshot which greatly reduces syncing times for the drive across all devices. To take a snapshot, all the user has to do is select the drive they want to take the snapshot of, click New from the menu, and lastly click “create snapshot.” It really is as simple as that.
You can see MC Lars‘ visual explainer in the video below.
Wen faster syncing? Wen faster syncing? It’s here!
v1.42.0 of ArDrive-App is now available on Web & Mobile and introduces QuickSync – a roll up of your Drive’s ArFS metadata into a single snapshot. Meaning much faster syncing times for your Drive across your devices 🏃♂️💨🐘 pic.twitter.com/EQOZJnmJQY
— 🐘🔗ArDrive.arweave.dev (@ardriveapp) February 15, 2023
The QuickSync feature is a significant improvement for ArDrive, as it provides a much smoother user experience for all. It’s also a testament to the power of decentralised storage, as it shows that even with the limitations of decentralisation, innovative solutions can still be accomplished – and the ArDrive team is gaining more and more experience in overcoming these limitations and obstacles with every passing day. They truly believe in decentralisation, and the following is an example of that.
Permanently publishing ArDrive to Arweave
In addition to the QuickSync feature (and what we are going to call “Permaweb Inception”), the founder of ArDrive, Phil Mataras, recently used ArDrive to publish the ArDrive app to Arweave’s permaweb.
On Feb 2nd, 2023, block height 1,111,181, I used @ardriveapp to permanently publish the @ardriveapp to the @ArweaveEco #permaweb, hitting a personal, team and community milestone of truly turning ArDrive into a decentralized #web3 application.
Lets unpack what this means 🧵 pic.twitter.com/HlwdRR3Qmm
— 🐘🔗 vilenarios.arweave.dev (@vilenarios) February 3, 2023
As a result, the ArDrive app is now permanently stored on the Arweave blockchain and can be accessed by anyone, at any time. This is a major milestone for ArDrive, as it marks a turning point in the platform’s journey towards becoming a truly decentralised Web3 application.
No matter what happens to the ArDrive team or what changes are made to the platform, the app will always be accessible to users, as it is immutably stored and replicated across all nodes on the Arweave blockchain. Mataras explained that all of the latest ArDrive and Arweave File System functionality was made permanent through the upload. This includes supporting keys you bring, public/private file and folder uploads, Arweave manifests, drive attaching, sharing, and file organisation. All of this can now be accessed through a web or mobile browser.
While the permanent storage of the app is a significant achievement, Mataras also noted that the app’s flaws and external dependencies are now also permanent. However, Mataras used ArDrive to create an Arweave manifest, which means that it’s fast and easy to iterate and update files with bug fixes and new features. The process of uploading the app to Arweave via ArDrive was also easy and inexpensive. It took about 15 minutes for Mataras to create a public drive, compile the latest build from GitHub, and upload the resulting 30mb build folder (all in a single L1 bundle) for less than $0.08.
Mataras also explained that the AR.IO Gateways with the Arweave Name System (ArNS) allow for friendly names and DNS resiliency for permanent dApps. So in this instance, users don’t need to remember the full Arweave transaction ID of the ArDrive upload, but can simply access the permanently stored ArDrive app on any ArNS-enabled gateway via this ArNS name:
https://dapp_ardrive.g8way.io/
Join our
