Zero-OS Network System
The Zero-OS network system implements a distributed peer-to-peer networking architecture designed for secure, resilient connectivity within decentralized environments.
Core Architectural Principles
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Secure Mesh Overlay: Implements a fully distributed peer-to-peer network topology where participants can securely communicate with all others.
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End-to-End Encryption: All communication between network participants is encrypted from source to destination.
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Network Isolation: Workloads operate within isolated private networks by default, with no automatic public internet connectivity.
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Controlled Public Exposure: Access to public networks is provided through explicitly configured Web Gateway components.
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Optimized Path Routing: Dynamic traffic routing algorithms identify the most efficient path between network participants.
Network Component Hierarchy
The Zero-OS network system employs a layered architecture:
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ZNet: Foundational networking layer implementing a virtual private data center model, enabling full mesh connectivity between containerized workloads.
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Mycelium Network: Distributed overlay network operating on top of existing Internet infrastructure, providing secure end-to-end encrypted communication.
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Web Gateway: Specialized component connecting private networks to the public Internet while maintaining isolation between internet-facing services and secure backend workloads.
Technical Implementation
Secure Mesh Overlay (ZNet)
ZNet forms the foundational layer for distributed grid architectures:
- Enables full mesh connectivity where each container can establish secure connections with all other containers
- Implements a single-tenant model with no default public Internet connectivity
- Maintains isolation from public Internet infrastructure
Mycelium Network
Mycelium implements a sophisticated overlay network:
- Network agents establish secure connections with other participants
- Traffic is routed through the optimal path between participants
- End-to-end encryption secures all communications
- Dynamically routes traffic across multiple connection types to maintain persistent sessions
- Implements cryptographic security and authentication verification
- Achieves throughput of up to 1 Gbps per Network Agent
Web Gateway
The Web Gateway provides secure public Internet exposure:
- Creates architectural separation between compute workload execution and service exposure
- Requires namespace reservation on distributed ledger
- Configures proxy service for reserved namespace
- Implements TLS configuration and security parameters
- Supports multi-gateway redundancy and clustering
- Maintains connection persistence during container relocation
Security Implementation
The system implements advanced security beyond traditional perimeter defense:
- Cryptographic authentication at the endpoint level
- Peer-to-peer communication through authenticated secure channels
- Optional whitelist-based access control with group permission structures
- Entity whitelisting based on cryptographic authentication credentials
Current Implementation Status
- ZNet: Production implementation
- Web Gateway: Production implementation
- Mycelium Network: Beta testing phase (available from version 3.13)
- Distributed Access Control: Available in enterprise edition