===== f. Preface =====

[[dido:public:ra:0.front:start|return to Front Matter]]

The Distributed Immutable Data Objects (DIDO) [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:r:reference_architecture]] is meant to be used as a resource to guide the design, use, or selection of [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:b:blockchain]], [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:d:dlt]], or other Distributed Computing solutions such as [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.b_stds:defact:ipfs:start| InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)]], [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:d:dds]] and [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:c:corba]].

The purpose of DIDO RA 1.0 was to create a better understanding of the Blockchain and DLT, which were exploding in the [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:i:infotech]] world after the publication of Satoshi Nakamoto’s paper "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System"(( S. Nakamoto, "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," 24 May 2009. [Online]. Available: [[https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf]].
))
and the subsequent success of the [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:b:bitcoin|Bitcoin]]. Since the publication of Nakamoto's paper, this excitement has grown way beyond the original Bitcoin. It has led to the promise/emergence of many other new cryptocurrencies, as well as the application of the well known and established concepts of distributed, peer-to-peer [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:a:application|applications]] to supply chains, the [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:i:iiot]], natural resources, environmental sciences, and even the monetization of data.

In DIDO RA 2.0, the goal was to focus less on cryptocurrencies and more on generalizing peer-to-peer, distributed computing. As a parallel effort to the publication of DIDO RA 2.0, several products have been developed to work in parallel with and complement this paper:

  * **DIDO Data Model (DIDO-DM)**: captures the conceptual data constructs described in the DIDO-RA including the [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:c:coi]] and testing.
  * **DIDO Testing Environment (DIDO-TE)**:  creates an environment that allows for virtualized testing of a [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:d:dapp|Distributed Application (DApp)]] before it can be released into the “wild” using real hardware and networks.
  * **DIDO [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:c:cli]]**: defines a high level command language with which to send commands to each node covering the configuration, definition, and manipulation of data on distributed nodes.
  * **DIDO Reference Implementation (DIDO-RI)**: provides a working interface to the DIDO-DM, DIDO-TE and DIDO-CLI.

The major enhancement of the DIDO RA 3.0 is the addition of a section on Requirements for DIDO Implementations from the "End User" perspective. Even though these requirements are for DIDO platform developers (e.g., Ethereum, Hyperledger, etc.) the intent is to enable a broad range of "End Users", e.g., financial, retail, supply chains, etc., to employ one or more DIDO platforms.  This new section defines a Governance Requirements Model, which is comprised of three processes:  Regulations (i.e., requirements specification), Execution (i.e., lifecycle from design to maintenance), and Compliance (i.e., oversight of a product or service, as well as, the processes of Regulation and Execution). This model ensures DIDO implementations are well-governed and moves DIDO Governance from its current "Execution Centric" state (i.e, DIDO platform developers) to the overall DIDO [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:c:coi|Communities of Interest]].

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