OpenEdStore Decentralised Educational Storage Platform

A decentralised application (dApp) that enables secure, scalable, and cost-effective storage of educational content, such as research papers, course materials, and administrative records—leveraging Filecoin's decentralised storage network, IPFS for content addressing, and FVM-based smart contracts for automated storage deal management.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Architecture
• Getting Started
• Usage
• Smart Contracts
• UI/UX Design
• Contributing
• License

Overview

Educational institutions often face challenges with traditional storage systems, including scalability issues, high costs, and data security concerns. OpenEdStore addresses these challenges by:

• Utilising IPFS for decentralised file storage and content addressing.
• Employing Filecoin's network for incentivised, verifiable storage.
• Implementing FVM-based smart contracts to automate storage deal management, verification, and renewals.
• Providing a user-friendly interface for educators, students, and administrators to manage educational content seamlessly.

Features

• Decentralized Storage: Store educational content across a distributed network, ensuring high availability and resilience.
• Automated Deal Management: Smart contracts handle storage deal initiation, verification, and renewal without manual intervention.
• Storage Renewal Notifications: Users receive timely notifications before their storage deals expire, allowing them to renew or sign a new deal.
• Access Control: Role-based permissions ensure that only authorized users can access or modify content.
• User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive dashboards for uploading, managing, and retrieving educational materials.
• Cost Efficiency: Leverage Filecoin's marketplace to optimize storage costs.

Architecture

• Frontend: Built with React.js, providing responsive dashboards for different user roles.
• Backend: Node.js server handling API requests, user authentication, and off-chain metadata storage.
• Smart Contracts: Solidity contracts deployed on FVM to manage storage deals, access control, and verification processes.
• Storage: Files are uploaded to IPFS, with storage deals made on the Filecoin network to ensure persistence and reliability.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or later)
• Yarn or npm
• Hardhat (for smart contract development)
• Metamask or any Web3-compatible wallet

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/educational-storage-platform.git
   cd educational-storage-platform

2. Install dependencies:

   yarn install
   # or
   npm install

3. Configure environment variables:

   Create a .env file in the root directory and add the necessary configurations:

   REACT_APP_IPFS_API_URL=your_ipfs_api_url
   REACT_APP_FILECOIN_API_URL=your_filecoin_api_url
   REACT_APP_CONTRACT_ADDRESS=your_smart_contract_address

4. Start the development server:

   yarn start
   # or
   npm start

Usage

1. Upload Files: Users can upload educational materials through the dashboard. Files are added to IPFS, and a CID is generated.

2. Initiate Storage Deal: The platform automatically initiates a storage deal on the Filecoin network using the generated CID.

3. Access Control: Set permissions for each file to control who can view or edit the content.

4. Monitor Storage Deals: View the status of storage deals, including verification results and renewal schedules.

LMS SDK

OpenEdStore provides a Software Development Kit (SDK) to integrate decentralized storage functionality into Learning Management Systems (LMS).

SDK Features:

Easy file upload to IPFS and Filecoin from within an LMS

CID retrieval and access control integration

Notifications for storage deal expiration

Lightweight and easy-to-implement modules

Coming Soon:

SDK documentation and implementation examples

Plugins for Moodle, Canvas, and other popular LMS platforms

Upload Files: Users upload educational materials via the dashboard. Files are added to IPFS, generating a CID.

Initiate Storage Deal: The platform automatically initiates a storage deal on Filecoin using the CID.

Access Control: Set role-based file permissions.

Monitor Storage Deals: View deal status, verification results, and receive renewal alerts.

Extend/Sign New Deal: Upon notification, users can extend or initiate a new storage deal.

Smart Contracts

OpenEdStore utilizes several smart contracts deployed on the Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM):

• StorageDealManager.sol: Handles initiation, verification, and renewal of storage deals.
• AccessControl.sol: Manages user roles and permissions for accessing content.
• Verification.sol: Integrates with Filecoin's proof mechanisms to verify data integrity.

Contracts are written in Solidity and can be found in the contracts/ directory. Deployment scripts and configurations are located in the scripts/ and hardhat.config.js files, respectively.

UI/UX Design

The user interface is designed with accessibility and ease of use in mind:

• Dashboard: Provides an overview of storage usage, active deals, and recent activity.
• File Manager: Allows users to upload, download, and manage files.
• Access Settings: Enable users to set permissions and share content securely.
• Notifications: Alerts users about storage deal statuses, upcoming renewals, and verification results.

Screenshots

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.

2. Create a new branch:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

3. Make your changes and commit them:

   git commit -m "Add your message here"

4. Push to your fork:

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name

5. Open a pull request detailing your changes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Authors & Acknowledgements @Beutife – Project Lead

Contributors – @Abidoyesimze @oluwatomilola , @oluwasina97

Special thanks to Filecoin, IPFS, FVM, and the open-source community

For more information on building with Filecoin, IPFS, and FVM, consider exploring resources like the FIL-Frame starter repository and the [Filecoin Virtual Machine documentation](https://docs.filecoin.io/smart-contracts/fundamentals