Deployment and Release

Environments

The process of releasing vlayer spans across four environments:

1. User Environment - web browsers
2. Developer Environment - Tools and libraries on the developer's local machine
3. vlayer Node Infrastructure - Consists of various server types
4. Blockchain Networks - Smart contracts deployed across multiple chains

The diagram below illustrates these environments, along with associated artifacts and key interdependencies:

User Experience

From a delivery perspective, the key aspects of user experience are:

• Reliable, functioning software
• Clear error messages when issues arise
• An easy update process for deprecated software

Users primarily interact with two main artifacts:

• The SDK, embedded within the developer's web application
• The developer's smart contracts, which interface with vlayer smart contracts
• Optionally, a browser extension if the user is engaging with Web Proofs

Unfortunately, both the user and vlayer have limited control over the SDK version in use. The SDK is implemented by the developer and updated only at the developer’s discretion.

Developer Experience

Alpha and Beta Versions

To ensure developers have the best possible experience, we will encourage and/or require them to always update to the most recent version of vlayer. Our goal is to release new versions daily. This approach ensures that:

• Developers have access to the latest features and bug fixes.
• We can guarantee compatibility among various artifacts.

A potential downside of this approach is that it may require developers to address bugs in their code caused by breaking changes in vlayer.

Production

In the production environment, we still want to encourage developers to update to the latest version; however, we may choose to:

• Release new versions less frequently (e.g., weekly).
• Avoid introducing breaking changes and changes to audited code.

Artifacts and Deployment Cycles

Each environment includes multiple artifacts, each with distinct deployment cycle limitations, as detailed below.

User Environment (Web Browser)

• Extension

  • Release: vlayer manually releases updates to the Chrome Web Store and other extension platforms. Although automated releases are technically feasible, the store acceptance process introduces some unpredictability.
  • Installation: Users install extensions manually from the store.
  • Updates: Browsers typically handle automatic updates, additionally users can be encouraged or enforced to update manually if needed.

• SDK

  • Release: vlayer releases new SDK versions daily.
  • Installation: Developers add the SDK to their project dependencies.
  • Updates: Neither vlayer nor the user can enforce SDK version updates, making SDK updates the least controllable in terms of version management on the user's end.

Developer Environment (Command Line Tools)

• vlayer Command Line Tool - Used in different contexts:
  • With init and test flags, tightly integrated with Foundry
  • With prover, an optional dependency for local development
• Local Development SDK
• vlayer Smart Contracts - Managed via Soldeer
• Foundry - An external dependency requiring updates synchronized with vlayer to:
  • Ensure test and init commands operate in the same directory as forge and other tools
  • Support the latest REVM (Rust Ethereum Virtual Machine) changes, including hard-fork and network compatibility

Updating these artifacts is encouraged or enforced through vlayer CLI commands (test, init, prove) and is executable via vlayer update.

Blockchain Networks (Smart Contracts)

• User’s Smart Contract - Derived from the Verifier base class, with deployment managed externally
• Verifier Helper Smart Contract - Often deployed daily

vlayer Node Infrastructure (Servers)

• User Dashboard - A user interface for managing proof history and purchasing
• vlayer Prover - A server for executing Prover operations
• Chain Proves Cache - A server for pre-proving on-chain data, including a JSON RPC server and worker components
• Notary - Manages notarization in the Web Proofs context, deployed as needed
• WebSocket Proxy - Handles TCP/IP connection proxying for Web Proofs, deployed as required
• Additional Components - Includes monitoring infrastructure and networked proving systems

All server infrastructure may undergo daily deployments to accommodate updates.