Sector: The Storage Unit
In the Filecoin network, a "sector" is a key storage unit that storage providers use to store data on behalf of clients. Sectors come in standardized sizes, such as 32 GiB or 64 GiB, and represent the amount of storage space allocated for storing client data. To use a sector for storage, providers undergo a process called "sealing," which involves encoding the data to prove the provider is storing it uniquely. This process, known as Proof-of-Replication (PoRep), generates cryptographic proofs to verify that data has been securely and uniquely stored within the sector.
Sectors are crucial for enabling storage deals on the Filecoin network, where storage providers enter into contracts with clients to store their data for a specified period. Each sector can be dedicated to a single storage deal or shared among multiple deals, depending on its size and configuration. Once data is sealed and stored in a sector, storage providers must periodically submit cryptographic proofs called Proofs of Spacetime (PoSt) to demonstrate that they continue to store the data reliably over time. A sector's lifecycle includes pledging, sealing, storing data during the agreed term, and, eventually, being either reused or removed after the contract expires.
Section Table
Discover why generating proofs of sector existence is essential in a decentralized storage network.
At the start of storage provision, committed capacity informs the network of your storage availability by creating placeholders called CC sectors.
The steps of every sector's proof-of-replication (PoRep) to make the storage more transparent and traceable.
The different steps of every sector's proof-of-spacetime (PoSt) to ensure a reliable, available, and secure storage ecosystem.
The storage node with CC sectors has been sealed without fake deals. SnapDeal updates the CC sectors with true deals.
Once sealed, a sector must be unsealed to retrieve the data to the client.
The Filecoin protocol requires different collateral from the storage providers to operate efficiently.
Penalties are essential to maintain a high level of quality of services and commitment to the protocol.
The sector is an essential brick of the Filecoin protocol and theonly way to make decentralized data storage at a consensus level. Let's navigate in this elementary unit of storage!
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