Terminology Overview¶
The Nano file sharing ecosystem consists of two software, the Nano client and Nano web application, plus the Clarabot server center. These software work simultaneously together in order to provide the user a fast and reliable file sharing platform.
The Nano documentation will distinctively use the terminology explained in this article when talking about a specific part of the Nano system.
Nano Client¶
The Nano client software is installed on the user’s machine. After the initial setup, the Nano client connects to the server center and allows it’s owner to remotely access their shared files. The root folder of the shared files is called a Drive; Nano acts as a hybrid file server for the contents of this root folder. The Nano client itself never listens on the network for connections in the traditional sense, it only accepts incoming requests from the server it has connected to. This method of client-server communication promotes better web security than a traditional file server.
Only the owner and explicitly authorized collaborators are able to issue requests to the Nano client. Even the Clarabot servers are incapable of forging and sending false commands to the Nano clients. Even in case of a full datacenter security breach, the users’ files will remain secure. See Security Overview for details.
Once a Nano client is set up it is available for the owner to be managed remotely through the Nano web application. The extent of the remote management is configurable. See Client Guide for details.
Nano web application¶
The Nano web application is a feature-rich modern website for controlling connected Nano Clients. The webapp also provides several utility tools for teams and individuals alike.
To work together with other Nano users, you must create a room. Rooms are customizable groups of participants which you can freely create and edit. These rooms serve a utility purpose for collaborative tasks. By default rooms have a basic message board for group chat services. The messages will be stored on the Clarabot servers.
With the webapp you can create drives on the machine where your Nano Client is running.
You can attach an existing drive to your room which will grant you access to the files shared by your Nano client. The contents of the drive will be available to everyone with membership access to your room.
You can invite other Nano users to your room, giving them membership roles or higher level roles like moderator or administrator.
The Nano web application lists all of your accessible collaboration tools in a workspace. This workspace can be found on the left side of the webapp. The tools within the workspace can be:
A room, either owned by you, or a room where you have membership access
A dialogue, which is a direct chat with another Nano user
You can create custom groupings for these tools to create a better workspace overview.
Clarabot Servers¶
The Nano clients and Nano web applications do not communicate on a peer-to-peer basis, but rather through centralized Clarabot servers. The centralized servers provide fast and secure communication channels for all user commands and data transfer operations.
The server implementation has multiple benefits: Faster communication between the user and Nano client, tighter network security and improved owner privacy.
The servers work on a Zero Knowledge encryption principle. All confidential data sent to the Clarabot servers are encrypted in a way that the servers have no way of decrypting and processing them. You can read more about our use of the Zero Knowledge protocol in the Security Overview - Goal article.