diff --git a/docs/source/introduction.md b/docs/source/introduction.md index d95bb04c..fe799b99 100644 --- a/docs/source/introduction.md +++ b/docs/source/introduction.md @@ -5,16 +5,6 @@ BigchainDB is a scalable blockchain database. That is, it's a "big data" databas You can read about the motivations, goals and high-level architecture in the [BigchainDB whitepaper](https://www.bigchaindb.com/whitepaper/). -## Setup Instructions for Various Cases - -* [Set up a stand-alone BigchainDB node for learning and experimenting: Quickstart](quickstart.html) -* [Set up and run a dev/test node](dev-and-test/setup-run-node.html) -* [Deploy a testing cluster on AWS](clusters-feds/aws-testing-cluster.html) -* [Set up and run a federation](clusters-feds/set-up-a-federation.html) (i.a. an organization with a BigchainDB cluster) - -(Instructions for setting up a client will be provided once there's a public testnet.) - - ## Is BigchainDB Production-Ready? No, BigchainDB is not production-ready. You can use it to build a prototype or proof-of-concept (POC); many people are already doing that. @@ -24,7 +14,40 @@ BigchainDB is currently in version 0.X. ([The Releases page on GitHub](https://g [The BigchainDB Roadmap](https://github.com/bigchaindb/org/blob/master/ROADMAP.md) will give you a sense of the things we intend to do with BigchainDB in the near term and the long term. +## Some Basic Vocabulary + +There is some specialized vocabulary associated with BigchainDB. To get started, you should at least know what what we mean by a BigchainDB *node*, *cluster* and *federation*. + +A **BigchainDB node** is a machine or set of closely-linked machines running RethinkDB Server, BigchainDB Server, and related software. (A "machine" might be a bare-metal server, a virtual machine or a container.) Each node is controlled by one person or organization. + +A set of BigchainDB nodes can connect to each other to form a **cluster**. Each node in the cluster runs the same software. A cluster contains one logical RethinkDB datastore. A cluster may have additional machines to do things such as cluster monitoring. + +The people and organizations that run the nodes in a cluster belong to a **federation** (i.e. another organization). A federation must have some sort of governance structure to make decisions. If a cluster is run by a single company, then the federation is just that company. + +**What's the Difference Between a Cluster and a Federation?** + +A cluster is just a bunch of connected nodes. A federation is an organization which has a cluster, and where each node in the cluster has a different operator. Confusingly, we sometimes call a federation's cluster its "federation." You can probably tell what we mean from context. + +There are several kinds of nodes: + +- A **dev/test node** is a node created by a developer working on BigchainDB Server, e.g. for testing new or changed code. A dev/test node is typically run on the developer's local machine. + +- A **bare-bones node** is a node deployed in the cloud, either as part of a testing cluster or as a starting point before upgrading the node to be production-ready. Our cloud deployment starter templates deploy a bare-bones node, as do our scripts for deploying a testing cluster on AWS. + +- A **production node** is a node that is part of a federation's BigchainDB cluster. A production node has the most components and requirements. + + +## Setup Instructions for Various Cases + +* [Set up a local stand-alone BigchainDB node for learning and experimenting: Quickstart](quickstart.html) +* [Set up and run a bare-bones node in the cloud](cloud-deployment-starter-templates/index.html) +* [Set up and run a local dev/test node for developing and testing BigchainDB Server](dev-and-test/setup-run-node.html) +* [Deploy a testing cluster on AWS](clusters-feds/aws-testing-cluster.html) +* [Set up and run a federation (including production nodes)](clusters-feds/set-up-a-federation.html) + +Instructions for setting up a client will be provided once there's a public test net. + + ## Can I Help? Yes! BigchainDB is an open-source project; we welcome contributions of all kinds. If you want to request a feature, file a bug report, make a pull request, or help in some other way, please see [the CONTRIBUTING.md file](https://github.com/bigchaindb/bigchaindb/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md). - diff --git a/docs/source/node-cluster-fed.md b/docs/source/node-cluster-fed.md deleted file mode 100644 index 3d5e89ed..00000000 --- a/docs/source/node-cluster-fed.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13 +0,0 @@ -# Nodes, Clusters & Federations - -A **BigchainDB node** is a machine or set of closely-linked machines running RethinkDB Server, BigchainDB Server, and related software. (A "machine" might be a bare-metal server, a virtual machine or a container.) Each node is controlled by one person or organization. - -A set of BigchainDB nodes can connect to each other to form a **cluster**. Each node in the cluster runs the same software. A cluster contains one logical RethinkDB datastore. A cluster may have additional machines to do things such as cluster monitoring. - -The people and organizations that run the nodes in a cluster belong to a **federation** (i.e. another organization). A federation must have some sort of governance structure to make decisions. If a cluster is run by a single company, then the federation is just that company. - -**What's the Difference Between a Cluster and a Federation?** - -A cluster is just a bunch of connected nodes. A federation is an organization which has a cluster, and where each node in the cluster has a different operator. - -Confusingly, we sometimes call a federation's cluster its "federation." You can probably tell what we mean from context. \ No newline at end of file