Architecture Guide

Sync Vault 1+N Architecture Explained

In the world of Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), synchronization has always been a struggle with the “Impossible Trinity”: Speed, Storage Space, and Security. Sync Vault breaks this deadlock through its innovative 1+N Architecture.

What is 1+N Architecture?

The 1+N architecture is a hybrid distributed sync model that deeply integrates traditional “centralized cloud storage” with modern “peer-to-point (P2P) collaboration.”

“1”: Cloud Center (Source of Truth)
- Your data “home base.”
- Supports Aliyun Drive, Baidu Netdisk, OneDrive, and other major cloud storage providers.
- Responsibility: Full data persistence, version history, and final data alignment across devices.
“N”: Live Peers (Your Devices)
- All your terminal devices (PC, Phone, Tablet).
- Responsibility: Forming a dynamic network via P2P protocols (WebRTC) for second-level real-time awareness and collaboration.

ABSTRACT

Core Philosophy The Cloud (1) handles persistence and disaster recovery, while Devices (N) provide the ultimate collaborative experience.

Core Technical Pillars

1. VFS Virtualization: Cloud as Local Disk

To solve the storage bottleneck on mobile devices, Sync Vault introduces the Virtual File System (VFS) concept.

Stub Technology: During sync, devices can generate only .osvc stub files. These files take up only a few KB but contain full file metadata.
On-Demand Hydration: Files are only “hydrated” (downloaded) from the cloud or P2P nodes when you click to view or edit them.
Media Streaming: For video and audio, VFS supports direct online streaming. Enjoy a 4K original quality experience within Obsidian without downloading the entire file.
Advantage: Even with a 1TB vault, you get instant indexing on your phone with zero disk usage.

2. P2P Real-time Collaboration: Google Docs in Obsidian

Under the 1+N architecture, when two devices are online simultaneously, Sync Vault automatically establishes an encrypted direct connection.

Live Awareness: Supports real-time cursor rendering. You can clearly see the editing trails of other devices or collaborators.
Conflict Self-Healing: Using CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) algorithms, multi-device edits merge automatically like liquid. The era of “conflict copy” files is over.
Zero Server Overhead: Collaborative data flows only between devices, bypassing cloud servers for ultimate privacy and low latency.

3. End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)

Privacy is the baseline of Sync Vault.

Cloud Encryption: Data is encrypted with AES-256 before leaving your device. Cloud providers cannot peek at your content.
Transport Encryption: P2P links are encrypted via DTLS, ensuring data never passes through unencrypted relay servers.

Why Choose 1+N?

Feature	Traditional Sync (iCloud/WebDAV)	Sync Vault 1+N
Sync Speed	Limited by network & server response	Instant P2P Awareness
Storage Usage	Requires full download	VFS On-Demand (Zero Space)
Collaboration	Prone to conflict files	Real-time Sync & Auto-merge
Data Sovereignty	Tied to specific providers	Cloud Freedom + E2EE

Ready for the AI Era

The 1+N architecture natively integrates the MCP Server (Model Context Protocol).

TIP

AI Fuel Traditional AI assistants must wait for files to sync locally before reading them. With 1+N, AI Agents can access full data directly via the MCP interface to the Cloud (1). This ensures your AI always has the most complete view of your knowledge base.

How to Start the 1+N Experience?

Configure “1”: Bind your primary cloud drive in the plugin settings.
Connect “N”: Install the plugin on multiple devices, log in with the same config, and enable “Live Sync.”
Activate VFS: Enable “Virtual File System” on mobile devices to enjoy the freedom of infinite space.

Written by the Sync Vault Core Team to help users understand the technical logic behind the product.