SDK and Request Node Overview

Request Network SDK

The Request Network SDK is the set of software packages for interacting with the Request Network. The packages can be installed via npm and allow developers to:

• Create new requests

• Update requests

• Pay requests

• Retrieve requests

• Detecting payments

Request Node

The Request Node is a software bundle that provides a gateway to the various layers of the Request Network Protocol:

• IPFS persists the request content

• Smart contracts persist the unique IPFS CID on-chain

• The Graph indexes smart contract events

This Request Node acts as a relay server which helps reduce friction and costs for the end user. The user signs the request contents, but the node funds the fees required to persist the contents in the various protocol layers.

The Request Network Foundation operates several Request Nodes which builders can use to quickly test the protocol. However, for production, we advise you to run your own node which can be installed via either npm or docker.

Interaction between SDK and Request Node

Shown below is a diagram that depicts how the SDK and Node interact with the protocol.

Interacting with Request Network via a Request Node