Neo SPCC has released NeoFS Panel, providing a way for users and developers to use the decentralized storage platform from within a browser. The service relies on the recently launched REST gateway to bridge requests between the client and NeoFS services.

Panel serves as an alternative to the neofs-cli, allowing users to bridge funds to and from the NeoFS sidechain or manage containers and objects. A video walkthrough was shared by the team to help users get up and running quickly, showing the available features. The application also serves as an example for developers of how to use the REST gateway.

Included functionality

All popular Neo N3 wallets are supported, including Neon, NeoLine, O3, and OneGate. OneGate users should note that Panel must be opened from within the application, not in a browser as with the others, in order to connect properly.

Once logged in, GAS balances on NeoFS and Neo N3 MainNet will be visible, with buttons to bridge assets between the two networks. After acquiring some GAS on NeoFS, a new container may be created, and objects uploaded to it. Some actions will require additional signatures before they can be performed.

Placement policy

NeoFS offers deterministic data storage functionality, powered by the network map. This allows users to fine-tune use of the network to meet their needs. These rules are defined in a placement policy.

This policy can be as simple as choosing the number of nodes to store the container, or as complex as specifying filters for geographical location, node reputation, or choice of storage medium. For regular users, a simple `REP 3` policy, meaning replicate to 3 nodes, will provide a balanced and fault tolerant setup.

A guide for writing a more advanced placement policy can be found here.

Access control

Access control lists are used to limit who is able to read or write objects in the container. With Panel, the basic access control list may not be modified, a limitation when compared to the neofs-cli. Instead, all containers will be created with a public read-write basic ACL.

The extended ACL can be adjusted within Panel at any time. Default options for `forbid everything` and `allow reads from others` are provided to meet common needs, however custom rules may be created to add more granular control over permissions. These are documented here.

Object management

Data can be uploaded to containers after their creation. Clicking on a container in the list provided by Panel will show relevant information such as the container and owner IDs, the placement policy, and creation time. The eACL may be modified at any time, however container attributes must be set during creation.

In the objects section, files in the container may be viewed, downloaded, shared, and deleted. The New Object button allows files to be uploaded to the container, after which they will show up in the list.

It costs approximately 0.00000720 GAS per month for each 1 GB of data stored with NeoFS, multiplied by the number of nodes (replicas) used. Container creation is priced at 0.007 GAS. Information about pricing can be found alongside a calculator on the NeoFS website.

Users can get started with NeoFS Panel at the following link:
https://panel.fs.neo.org