Actually, we don't base the synchronization system on the fileystem. It is based on concept of records in a virtual store. A record is a 'syncable' entity. For

Actually, we don't base the synchronization system on the fileystem. It is based on concept of records in a virtual store. A record is a 'syncable' entity. For example, a task in a Workspace is a record, a file can be a record and so on. There is no single authority for a record. It depends upon what the sync settings are. Say you have a record that two people simultaneously modified, when the sync happens, the conflict gets resolved based on the setting, which for instance can the last change wins or the originator wins etc. Think of Workspace more similar to how Groove works rather than a shared filesystem. The Tonido Domain Server (TDS) basically implements a distributed login and authority system. As you said, it basically stores a pretty name->Crypto key that can validate a particular peer and help verify the identity in case another peer is interested. The identity server's job is to provide Dynamic DNS function so URLs are resolved as well as to handshake connections between peers. The TDS is distributed in a sense that you can run your own TDS with your identity domain(say mindslight.com) if you want to. Your Tonido ID will be then me@mindslight.com. There is no central system. As long as they all talk the same simple protocol everything can interoperate. What we are really hoping to get to is to the point where more TDS exist and people simply choose which one they want to create an ID on, like email addresses. We need to write some more on this in our blog, but these days 24 hours doesn't seem to be enough. :-)