The NADA architecture is a new distributed computing paradigm that relies on small (“nano”) sized interconnected data centres spread along the network edges. The architecture aims to address the concerns and the shortcomings of monolithic datacenters that are the present day norm.

Architectures for content distribution are book-ended by totally centralized monolithic datacenters on one end, and highly distributed peer-to-peer (P2P) nodes each operating independently on the other end. Both the paradigms come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. For instance, monolithic datacenters are plagued by energy consumption costs, scalability issues, and maintenance issues. However, such a centralized architecture does provide enhanced security and can provide concrete Service Level Agreements (SLAs) due to their centralized nature. On the other end of the spectrum, P2P architecture can address scalability, energy, and maintenance issues faced by the centralized architecture. However, the P2P architecture is plagued by problems of poor security, selfishness in the system due to the presence of self-serving nodes, and a lack of service guarantees enforced by the very nature of the architecture.

The Nano Datacenter (NADA) system consists of highly distributed collection of boxes at the edge of the network that are capable of hosting and delivering content. These boxes are owned by a single authority (for instance an ISP) and rely on a P2P communication infrastructure. The combination of relying on highly distributed set of resources, and the fact that all of the resources are under one authority, help address the chief concerns raised earlier.

For more details please read the NADA architecture document.