IPFS Pinning - Quickstart

Created by Protocol Labs, InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a decentralized protocol used to store and share content.

Scaleway IPFS Pinning allows you to permanently store a copy of your data from the public IPFS network on a Scaleway-owned node, thus providing you with an added layer of performance in the region of your choice. That way, your data remains available and accessible, even when your local machine is offline.

With your content now available on both your local node and our resilient and reliable external nodes, you drastically minimize the risk of disruptions thanks to redundancy. You can also enhance your data storage efficiency by pinning your content to your Scaleway node, and then remove it from your local node.

In this quickstart, we show you how to add Scaleway as a remote pinning service, create a volume, add a pin to your data and retrieve it using Scaleway IPFS Pinning.

Before you start

To complete the actions presented below, you must have:

• A Scaleway account logged into the console
• Owner status or IAM permissions allowing you to perform actions in the intended Organization
• A valid API key
• Downloaded and installed IPFS Desktop App
• Added data to your own local node and retrieved its CID

How to create a volume

1. Click IPFS Pinning in the Labs section of the Scaleway console side menu. The IPFS Pinning section displays.

2. Click Create a Volume to create a volume, which is the storage area for a set of pins.

   

3. Choose a region for the volume.

4. Enter a name for the volume.

   Important

   Volume names can only contain alphanumeric characters and dashes.

   

5. Click Create a Volume.

How to add Scaleway as a remote pinning service

This operation allows you to add Scaleway as a remote service in your IPFS desktop.

1. Open IPFS Desktop.
2. Click Settings on the sidebar menu. The settings panel displays.
3. Click the Add Service button on the Pinning services section of the panel. A pop-up displays asking you to select a pinning service provider.
4. Click Add a custom one to add Scaleway as a remote pinning service. A configuration form displays.
5. Fill in the different fields by replacing the parameters in brackets with the relevant information:
   • Nickname: Scaleway
   • API endpoint: https:/<your_volume_region_ID>.ipfs.labs.scw.cloud/<your_volume_ID>
   • Secret access token: <$SCW_SECRET_KEY>

Scaleway should now appear in the list of remote pinning services.

How to pin your data

1. Click IPFS Pinning in the Labs section of the Scaleway console side menu. The IPFS Pinning section displays.
2. Click the «See more Icon» icon next to your desired volume, and select Pin from the drop-down menu. The pin section displays.
3. Click Add Pin to add a pin to your data. A pop-up displays, prompting you to enter the data’s information.
4. Enter the CID of your data as well as a name for it.
5. Click Submit. The CID and name of your data appears under the Pins section.

How to retrieve your data

Now that you have pinned your data, you can retrieve it using CloudFlare, Pinata or Protocol Labs. These are IPFS gateways, which are services that allow you to interact with the IPFS network using regular, HTTP/HTTPS web protocols. This means you do not need a particular IPFS software to retrieve your data - you can instead use your regular web browser.

1. Click the «See more Icon» icon next to the CID of the data you want to retrieve. The three IPFS gateways display.
2. Click the IPFS gateway you wish to retrieve your data from. Your data displays in a new tab.