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v5 Notary Allocator Application:DirectionTechnology FIL+ Datacap Allocator #1021

Open DirectionTechnology opened 11 months ago

DirectionTechnology commented 11 months ago

v5 Notary Allocator Application

To apply to be an allocator, organizations will submit one application for each proposed pathway to DataCap. If you will be designing multiple specific pathways, you will need to submit multiple applications.

Please complete the following steps:

1. Fill out the information below and create a new GitHub Issue

  1. Notary Allocator Pathway Name (This can be your name, or the name of your pathway/program. For example "E-Fil+"):DirectionTechnology
  2. Organization Name:DirectionTechnology
  3. On-chain address for Allocator (Provide a NEW unique address. During ratification, you will need to initialize this address on-chain): f15tsyaslv2pxtsmall3brmo7bieiaid3ahac5eby
  4. Country of Operation (Where your organization is legally based): UK
  5. Region of Operation (What region will you serve?): Europe, North America, Asia
  6. Type of Allocator, diligence process: (Automated/programmatic, Market-based, or Manual (human-in-the-loop at some phase): Manual
  7. DataCap requested for allocator for 12 months of activity (This should be an estimate of overall expected activity. Estimate the total amount of DataCap you will be distributing to clients in 12 months, in TiB or PiB):100P

2. Access allocator application (download to save answers)

Click link below to access a Google doc version of the allocator application that can be used to save your answers if you are not prepared to fully submit the application in Step 3. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Ze8bo7ZlIJe8qX0YSFNPTka4CMprqoNB1D6V7WJJjo/copy

3. Submit allocation application

Clink link below to access full allocator questionnaire and officially submit your answers: https://airtable.com/appvyE0VHcgpAkt4Z/shrQxaAIsD693e1ns

Note: Sections of your responses WILL BE posted back into the GitHub issue tracking your application. The final section (Additional Disclosures) will NOT be posted to GitHub, and will be maintained by the Filecoin Foundation. Application information for notaries not accepted and ratified in this round will be deleted.

Kevin-FF-USA commented 11 months ago

Hi @DirectionTechnology Wanted to let you know this application has been received. After you complete and submit the Airtable form with your detailed Allocator plan - the public answers will be posted in a thread below. If you have any questions - please let me know.

DirectionTechnology commented 10 months ago

Hi, @Kevin-FF-USA @Filplus-govteam I have submitted the Airtable form on December 22nd, if you have questions,please let me know.

ghost commented 10 months ago

Basic Information

1. Notary Allocator Pathway Name: Direction Technology FIL+ Datacap Allocator

2. Organization: Direction Technology

3. On Chain Address for Allocator: f15tsyaslv2pxtsmall3brmo7bieiaid3ahac5eby

4. Country of Operation: UK

5. Region(s) of operation: Asia minus GCR, Greater China, Europe, Oceania, Japan, North America, South America

6. Type of Allocator: Manual

7. DataCap requested for allocator for 12 months of activity: 100P

8. Is your allocator providing a unique, new, or diverse pathway to DataCap? How does this allocator differentiate itself from other applicants, new or existing?: --KYC Verify GitHub account information, client background, and organizational information. Review the compliance of the application content. Verify if the client is the data preparer and provide experience with previous applications and client IDs. Confirm if the client is the data owner and provide relevant proof. Understand the relationship between the client and the organization. Require the client to use the official domain for email correspondence to confirm identity. --Data and Retrieval: Verify the size and compliance of the dataset, including copyright and compliance with local laws and regulations. Verify data samples and confirm storage planning and transmission methods. Request additional data samples from the client to demonstrate the data volume. Confirm the data source and its public accessibility, as well as how others can retrieve the data. Confirm if the data is authorized to be stored on the Filecoin network. Understand the client's storage plan, including the number of storage copies and the locations of collaborating storage providers. Compliance of the service provider (SP). Use tools to check the compliance of distribution and storage, and perform random downloads to verify data consistency. Understand the data retrieval rate after client data is stored. Confirm how the client checks the compliance of storage providers. Remind the client to familiarize themselves with the guidelines for DC distribution and data storage to ensure compliant operations.

9. As a member in the Filecoin Community, I acknowledge that I must adhere to the Community Code of Conduct, as well other End User License Agreements for accessing various tools and services, such as GitHub and Slack.: Acknowledge

Client Diligence

10. Who are your target clients?: Small-scale developers or data owners, Individuals learning about Filecoin, Enterprise Data Clients

11. Describe in as much detail as possible how you will perform due diligence on clients. If you are proposing an automated pathway, what diligence mechanism will you use to determine client eligibility?: --KYC Verify GitHub account information, client background, and organizational information. Review the compliance of the application content. Verify if the client is the data preparer and provide experience with previous applications and client IDs. Confirm if the client is the data owner and provide relevant proof. Understand the relationship between the client and the organization. Require the client to use the official domain for email correspondence to confirm identity. --Data and Retrieval: Verify the size and compliance of the dataset, including copyright and compliance with local laws and regulations. Verify data samples and confirm storage planning and transmission methods. Request additional data samples from the client to demonstrate the data volume. Confirm the data source and its public accessibility, as well as how others can retrieve the data. Confirm if the data is authorized to be stored on the Filecoin network. Understand the client's storage plan, including the number of storage copies and the locations of collaborating storage providers. Compliance of the service provider (SP). Use tools to check the compliance of distribution and storage, and perform random downloads to verify data consistency. Understand the data retrieval rate after client data is stored. Confirm how the client checks the compliance of storage providers. Remind the client to familiarize themselves with the guidelines for DC distribution and data storage to ensure compliant operations.

12. Please specify how many questions you’ll ask, and provide a brief overview of the questions.: We gather information about our clients, primarily focusing on first-time applicants, through the following questions: Please introduce yourself and provide links to your social media platforms (Github, Twitter, Linkedin handle, WeChat, etc.). If you represent an organization, please provide the name, nature, country, and registration data of your organization, along with proof of your relationship with the organization. What is the purpose of your data? How much data do you anticipate storing for this project? Please provide evidence of your relationship with the data being stored, particularly regarding copyright. Where does your data originate from? Describe the source and public accessibility of the data to be stored on Filecoin. How can others retrieve the data if it is publicly available? Where do you intend to store the data? How many storage providers (SPs) are you looking for? Please list the SP IDs. What is the storage rate for each SP? What are the requirements from the SPs? How familiar are you with the Filecoin network? Do you have any prior experience with similar storage?

For clients with existing allocation records, we collect information through the following questions: How much DataCap did you have before this? Is your stored data retrievable? Please provide the Cid. How many SPs have you allocated DataCap to? Where are they located? Please ensure that the SP IDs are accessible so that we can review the node information you provided at any time. What are your criteria for selecting storage providers? What specific factors are considered? What are your requirements for data security and privacy protection? Have measures been taken to ensure data security? What are your expectations for the long-term storage and reliability of the data? Do you have a backup strategy? Do you have specific timelines or deadlines for completing data storage? Do you have any specific budget constraints or cost allocations for data storage? What are your requirements for the technical capabilities and support level of storage providers? Have you considered the retrieval and access methods for the data? Do you need to implement specific access control or permission management?

13. Will you use a 3rd-party Know your client (KYC) service?: Yes, We use reputable 3rd-party system that ensures client eligibility

14. Can any client apply to your pathway, or will you be closed to only your own internal clients? (eg: bizdev or self-referral):  Any client

15. How do you plan to track the rate at which DataCap is being distributed to your clients?: Update under the GitHub application

Data Diligence

16. As an operating entity in the Filecoin Community, you are required to follow all local & regional regulations relating to any data, digital and otherwise. This may include PII and data deletion requirements, as well as the storing, transmit: Acknowledge

17. What type(s) of data would be applicable for your pathway?: Public Open Dataset (Research/Non-Profit), Public Open Commercial/Enterprise, Private Non-Profit/Social Impact

18. How will you verify a client’s data ownership? Will you use 3rd-party KYB (know your business) service to verify enterprise clients?: Public Open Data Sets (Research/Non-profit), Public Open Commercial/Enterprise, Private Non-profit/Social Impact. 1.Request proof of data and the connection between the client or organization, such as contracts and agreements. Check the contracts, agreements, or authorization documents signed between the client and the organization. These documents may contain explicit provisions regarding data ownership and usage rights. (Applicable to Public Open Business/Enterprise, Private Non-profit/Social Impact) 2.Provide proof of copyright for the data, such as direct intellectual property documentation. In some countries, clients can establish ownership of their data by registering the data for copyright. By checking copyright registration databases or consulting intellectual property professionals, it can be verified whether the client owns the copyright to the relevant data. (Applicable to Public Open Data Sets (Research/Non-profit)) 3.Data source and generation records: Understanding the source and generation process of the data can help verify ownership of the data. Clients may be required to provide information about data acquisition methods, data collection methods, experimental records, etc. By evaluating this evidence, the legal ownership of the data can be determined. (Applicable to Public Open Business/Enterprise, Private Non-profit/Social Impact) 4.For certain data with a personal nature, such as social media videos, verification can be done through interactions such as followers, comments, and shares, or by providing collaboration agreements with media platforms. (Applicable to Private Non-profit/Social Impact)

19. How will you ensure the data meets local & regional legal requirements?: N/A

20. What types of data preparation will you support or require?: Public Open Dataset (Research/Non-Profit)\Public Open Commercial/Enterprise\Private Non-Profit/Social Impact

21. What tools or methodology will you use to sample and verify the data aligns with your pathway?: 1.use the official oneoff tool to randomly sample sector data from nodes to ensure normal retrieval. 2.use the official booster-bitswap tool to download sector data. 3.use the official ipfs-car tool to parse the downloaded data and manually inspect and verify the parsed data.

Data Distribution

22. How many replicas will you require to meet programmatic requirements for distribution?: 5+

23. What geographic or regional distribution will you require?: 3 locations, 4 to 5 SPs, 5 copies, no or minimal use of VPN, different SP owners/operators.

24. How many Storage Provider owner/operators will you require to meet programmatic requirements for distribution?: 3+

25. Do you require equal percentage distribution for your clients to their chosen SPs? Will you require preliminary SP distribution plans from the client before allocating any DataCap?: Detailed client allocation plan is required, following a standardized template, with quantitative (miners and percentage distribution) and qualitative (SP KYB information) details about SPs before the initial allocation.

26. What tooling will you use to verify client deal-making distribution?: Open-source tools (such as datacapstats.io, AC Bot, CID checker, etc.) can be used to automatically check and report on client transaction allocations before subsequent allocations.

27. How will clients meet SP distribution requirements?: Some support provided to clients to assist in SP discovery & deal making, such as SP contact forums or reputation info

28. As an allocator, do you support clients that engage in deal-making with SPs utilizing a VPN?: We are willing to support clients who use VPNs with SPs, but additional KYB checks are required. For example, we can verify specific proofs of SP location.

DataCap Allocation Strategy

29. Will you use standardized DataCap allocations to clients?: Yes, standardized

30. Allocation Tranche Schedule to clients:: •First:  50-100T •second: 100-200T •third: 200-400T •fourth:  400-800T •Max per client overall: 1000T Allocation criteria: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1afKnLJfjkUz47ztjTWx-rxFOGTgYQ0y8JRpT3RwZyGc/edit?usp=sharing

31. Will you use programmatic or software based allocations?: No, manually calculated & determined

32. What tooling will you use to construct messages and send allocations to clients?: Open-source tools

33. Describe the process for granting additional DataCap to previously verified clients.: We will utilize open-source tools, such as the Subsequent Allocation (SA) bot, to allocate to previously verified clients.

34. Describe in as much detail as possible the tools used for: • client discoverability & applications • due diligence & investigation • bookkeeping • on-chain message construction • client deal-making behavior • tracking overall allocator health • disput: N/A

Tools and Bookkeeping

35. Will you use open-source tooling from the Fil+ team?: Fully or predominantly use well-documented open-source tools.

36. Where will you keep your records for bookkeeping? How will you maintain transparency in your allocation decisions?: Protect client information, with some records ( https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sGMGZhyYV4N2cAY-WnZRqBSLW2zVS8J-IIwHFGmIDf4/edit?usp=sharing)being made public, and certain information may be provided to the Fil+ governance team for dispute resolution or auditing.)

Risk Mitigation, Auditing, Compliance

37. Describe your proposed compliance check mechanisms for your own clients.: Based on the allocation records, utilize tools such as CID Checker, Retrievability Bot, AC Bot, etc., to assess and maintain communication with the clients, ensuring strict compliance with implementation guidelines.

38. Describe your process for handling disputes. Highlight response times, transparency, and accountability mechanisms.: Dispute Type: Internal Dispute Recipient: Client Response Time: 1 business day Processing Procedure:Feedback: Respond to inquiries and feedback on Slack, GitHub, and provide responses to address concerns. Provide Evidence: Present detailed evidence objectively to express opinions or suggestions. Seek Assistance: Engage the community platform and seek help from the community and governance teams to resolve the dispute.

Dispute Type: External Dispute Recipient: Dispute Tracker or queries from community members or official entities. Response Time: 2 business days Processing Procedure:Feedback: Timely response to queries and disputes on the Dispute Tracker or other community platforms, ensuring proactive responses to issues. Provide Evidence: Offer detailed evidence related to the dispute to support our position and actions. Seek Assistance: If the dispute remains unresolved, seek advice and recommendations from the community or dispute resolution committee to pursue a fair resolution.

39. Detail how you will announce updates to tooling, pathway guidelines, parameters, and process alterations.: N/A

40. How long will you allow the community to provide feedback before implementing changes?: The feedback time will depend on the community's response time and the outcome of discussions. I will track community information and engage in communication through Slack and GitHub on a daily basis during business days.

41. Regarding security, how will you structure and secure the on-chain notary address? If you will utilize a multisig, how will it be structured? Who will have administrative & signatory rights?: LEDGER

42. Will you deploy smart contracts for program or policy procedures? If so, how will you track and fund them?: N/A

Monetization

43. Outline your monetization models for the services you provide as a notary allocator pathway.: While I am currently an auditing service provider, I am also a builder within the Filecoin ecosystem and have been actively researching and anticipating the future implementation of applications. Therefore, I am unable to provide specific monetization models, and here are the reasons: Non-profit nature: Filecoin is a non-profit project aimed at constructing a decentralized storage ecosystem rather than pursuing profitability. As part of the ecosystem, I align with this goal and choose not to implement monetization models. User growth and market share: I hope the Filecoin ecosystem can achieve significant user growth and market share. By offering free services or features, we can attract more users and build a strong user base for storage, laying the foundation for future ecosystem applications and implementations. Data accumulation and analysis: Even without a direct monetization policy, the accumulation and analysis of a large amount of project data provide valuable insights and solutions, attracting more client.

44. Describe your organization's structure, such as the legal entity and other business & market ventures.: DirectionTechnology is a UK-based blockchain technology services company. In 2020, it focused on the Filecoin Slingshot project. In 2021, it joined the Filecoin project and has been dedicated to Filecoin development ever since. In 2021, we sealed two nodes: f01188117 and f0218559, contributing over 26PiB of storage space to the network. In 2022, DirectionTechnology was honored to become a V4 Notary. According to the 2022 plan, we established a technical team and recruited relevant technical and sales personnel, preparing for large-scale sealing. Unfortunately, throughout 2023, the market remained in a downturn with decreasing yields, which was insufficient to attract clients to invest in mining equipment and funds. We could only work hard to persuade clients to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude while waiting for market conditions to improve. In this market situation, we believe that only with 10 times the effective data power can miners be profitable. Thus, we must increase the scale of real storage, maintain a fast response and approval speed for fil+, in order to continue expanding both the storage network and user base. Since becoming a Notary, we have actively responded to community affairs: --Devoting 6-8 hours/week to community involvement. --Participating in 23 conference calls (from 2023.1.1 to 2023.12.12). --Auditing 10 LDNs and allocating 7P+ DCs. However, the LDN allocation work has faced challenges due to various factors. Nevertheless, we still believe that expanding the storage scale and attracting more investors to participate in the storage network is the greatest support for the project at present. We should not doubt or undermine applicants, miners, or even Notaries due to some doubts. This would be detrimental to the entire Filecoin project. In the upcoming year of 2024, we hope to continue contributing to the storage network and increase our focus and investment in smart contracts. Together with the project team and our valued clients, we aim to usher in a new breakthrough for the storage network.

45. Where will accounting for fees be maintained?: N/A

Past Experience, Affiliations, Reputation

46. If you've received DataCap allocation privileges before, please link to prior notary applications.: https://github.com/filecoin-project/notary-governance/issues/717

47. How are you connected to the Filecoin ecosystem? Describe your (or your organization's) Filecoin relationships, investments, or ownership.: In 2020, Direction Technology began focusing on the project from the Filecoin Slingshot. In 2021, We joined the Filecoin project and we wanna to devote to Filecoin development for the long term. In 2021, we sealed two nodes: f01188117 and f0218559, which contributed more than 26PiB of storage to the network.

48. How are you estimating your client demand and pathway usage? Do you have existing clients and an onboarding funnel?: No existing clients