XdbE - Introduction

XdbE - Project Introduction

Without going too deep into technical details let us first answer some basic questions about XdbE. This will help defining the subject of XdbE as well as explain why on Earth someone might need such thing as XdbE.

What is it For?

To answer this question one has to define first of all what XdbE is definitely not. XdbE is not an end-user application - it provides no end-user service or end-user interface. Instead, XdbE is an enabling technology designed to bring functionality of existing Online Community Services (Social Networks) to a new higher level. XdbE acts as an intermediary between participating OCS linking them to each other and allowing to pass user information between them. It also allows optional storage of all data passed through XdbE Network at XdbE Data Servers (XdbE DS). These servers also provide access to that data upon request to XdbE Data Clients (DC).

What does it Do?

In simple words XdbE does just two things: firstly, it relays user data from the originating community (OCS) to all participating Data Servers (DS) with minimal delay and secondly, all Data Servers have an option to store data they pass locally. It is assumed that normally participating OCS should also run an instance of XdbE DS. If it is so not only each participating community will instantly be informed about user account events happening at other communities but also have a local data set with records of all such events that passed through the XdbE Network in the past. In addition each DS provides unrestricted access to all data and since data stored at each XdbE DS is identical XdbE as a whole acts as a large distributed database with excellent load balancing ability. To sum up XdbE provides:

1. Data Relay
2. Local Data Storage
3. Remote Data Access

How it works?

In layman's terms XdbE provides a piece of software called DC to participating online communities. All it does - it takes a User Event from whatever software a given OCS is running, selects the nearest XdbE DS and sends this event data to this server. Note, it happens only once unless the selected server is down and if it is down it continues sending the event to the next available server until a success response is given. After receiving this event DS relays the event to all other participating DS so that all of them have this data. It is assumed that most participating OCS have both DC and DS installed. Now an event that took place at one OCS is spread all over the XdbE Network and all other participating OCS know about it and may use this data for their own applications or services. It is also recorded at all free standing DS and those DS now can provide this data to various sorts of clients upon request.

How will it Help?

XdbE Project aims to benefit three groups of potential consumers: Online Community Hosts, Developers, End-Users and The Internet as a whole.

For Online Communities

Online Communities are benefiting in three distinct ways by 1) providing their data to XdbE Network, 2) remotely accessing XdbE network, 3) running and accessing their own XdbE DS.

• Instant updates, local storage and local access to all User Circle (Social Graph) data for communities running XdbE DS which eliminates delays and enables more complex queries and analysis compare to remotely hosted data
• Increased visibility for mid-sized and smaller communities by relaying their data to a larger audience no matter if they run an instance of XdbE DS or not
• For online communities that opted not to install their own DS XdbE provides a remote on-demand access to all data which is albeit a less efficient solution than running self-hosted DS but nevertheless supersedes all other solutions currently available in terms of speed, reliability and load balancing

For Developers

Developers are to benefit from both, unlimited access to structured user data as well as unpaired speed and reliability of XdbE which enables building services and applications never possible before.

• Unprecedented freedom in creating end-user applications based on a local and constantly updated data set for existing Online Communities
• Flexibility and reliability of various applications like browser add-ons or desktop applications using remote access to XdbE that provides outstanding speed and load-balance
• Ability to develop new self-hosted web applications based on complex analysis of a data set provided by a locally run instance of XdbE DS
• Ability to develop B2B services and applications based on analysis of User Circle (Social Graph) data provided by self-hosted XdbE DS

For End-Users

As it was mentioned already XdbE is not an end-user application and it is not going to be provided with an end-user frontend. Instead it is an enabling technology which will benefit end-users indirectly via enabling Online Communities as well as independent developers to build their own end-user products. Such products may enhance user experience in following ways:

• User Identity Aggregation - ultimate control over user online presentation allowing to bridge user profiles and friends across network boundaries
• User Identity Management - quick and easy way of establishing or deleting cross-community relationships between user profiles of the same individual
• User Content Attribution - correct cross-community attribution of user generated content
• Cross-Community Content Generation - allows to relate pieces of content across community boundaries via attribution

For the Internet

Perhaps the most significant impact XdbE is capable to provide will be changing the underlying structure of the Web 2.0 bringing it to the next level. Archaic barriers to competition and innovation will be replaced with truly open web that does not favor one web service over another. The new model of decentralized, non-walled Internet will be an ideal basis for growth of new types Online Communities, services with great strength to attract more users. That will faster Internet economic growth, accelerate process of formation of new businesses. Internet market, the best driver of growth and innovation, will be refreshed and as a result will create better conditions in which innovation will flourish.

• Considerable Internet user growth
• New Internet economic model formation, model based on new and fresh ideas, values that yield economic results
• Internet products and markets will became more mature, hence more sustainable for further development

All of the listed above functionality requires an open, fast, reliable and up-to-date database backend which XDBE is designed to provide.

You can read more on philosophy behind the XdbE Project in our blog: