A glimpse of what's coming in TODA
Using NEO to more efficiently transmit TODA files over the wire in ADOT
(1 min read)
On the R&D front, one of the exciting things has been watching the new serialization specification, code-named "NEO", come together on the implementation side. Typical serialization formats are designed to deal with relatively flat data structures composed of lists or trees. Efficiently transferring deeply nested directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) is more difficult. Identifiers are required to transfer DAGs efficiently, and for our purposes those identifiers need to be guaranteed globally unique to ensure the information can't be changed without it being immediately obvious. It also needs to incorporate qualities of the data being transferred, like its length in bytes and its basic structure.
By providing this foundational layer in a tightly integrated way, NEO not only increases the transmission rate of TODA files over the wire, it fundamentally changes the way applications are built. It allows the two sides to have a full conversation, where they are each able to send the other partial information, efficiently query the aspects they need, and eliminate the call-response programming style that keeps distributed systems tied to the old client-server model. That in turn supports ADOT's mission to provide a natural platform for building distributed applications with first-class digital things.
NEO provides a standard format for information transmission between ADOT nodes built on different computational platforms (desktop, mobile, embedded, etc), ultimately allowing for direct peer-to-peer transfer of TODA files. NEO’s compact format accelerates performance and provides rich opportunities for aggressive optimization. Additionally, it provides a secure basis for immediate detection of misrepresentation. NEO: just one more way ADOT is making your life better TODAy.
Dann