Please describe your proposed solution.

Our proposed solution involves creating a software tool that enables the sharing of the Cardano Node Socket across multiple machines. This tool is designed to address the challenges faced during the setup and running of a Node, particularly during infrastructure migration or for new users and developers who simply want to experiment.

The primary function of this tool is to facilitate the mapping of the Node Socket from one machine to others, allowing multiple users to share access to a single Cardano node. This not only simplifies the process of setting up a new node for every developer but also promotes a more collaborative environment within the developer community of larger projects.

Additionally, the tool is designed to support a variety of transportation channels, including UDP, SSH, HTTP, and others. This means that developers have the flexibility to use the tool across different network configurations or infrastructure setups.

Another key feature of the tool is its mostly autonomous setup process. This will be built to reduce the burden of configuration on the user, hence making the tool more user-friendly and efficient.

Ultimately, the tool can serve as an alternative to reliance on services like Blockfrost, liberating users from dependency on external pricing models and infrastructure. It also provides a solution for easier infrastructure scaling, particularly beneficial in situations where a local node might be experiencing issues.

How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

Our proposed solution directly addresses the identified challenges in the Cardano ecosystem and Cardano Node setups by improving its scalability and accessibility.

1. Promoting resource sharing: This tool enables a single Cardano Node to be shared across many users. This leads to a more efficient use of resources, as it negates the need for each developer to set up and maintain their own Node.
2. Enhancing scalability: Our tool helps in mitigating potential bottlenecks or node-related issues by allowing the infrastructure to be easily scaled up. If a local node is experiencing issues, the tool can facilitate the sharing of Node Sockets to ensure continued access and service reliability.
3. Increasing independence: By offering an alternative to services like Blockfrost, our tool gives communities more control over their interactions with the Cardano ecosyste
4. Supporting flexibility: The tool's compatibility with various transportation channels (UDP, SSH, HTTP, etc.) ensures it can be adapted to various network configurations, providing flexibility and broad utility.
5. Enhancing collaboration: By allowing shared access to a Cardano node, our tool can help foster a collaborative environment, particularly within larger projects where multiple developers need access to the same resources for local debugging.

All of these benefits combined will help to stimulate growth and innovation within the Cardano ecosystem, attract more developers, and facilitate more robust and versatile project development.

How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

The success of this project can be measured using a number of key performance indicators (KPIs), some of which could include:

1. User Adoption: How many users are making use of the software tool? Are larger projects incorporating the tool into their infrastructure? Are they using it to share Cardano Node Sockets across multiple machines?
2. Ease of Setup and Use: One of the tool's primary goals is to ease the configuration and setup process for user
3. Infrastructure Stability: By enabling the sharing of a Cardano Node Socket, the tool aims to provide a solution for infrastructure scaling and reliabilit
4. Network Flexibility: As the tool supports multiple transport channels, one success indicator could be the variety of configurations it's been successfully used with
5. Feedback and Reviews: Collecting user feedback and reviews on the tool's features, user-friendliness, and effectiveness can provide valuable insight into its overall succes
6. Bug reports and Maintenance Requirements: A lower number of bug reports and fewer maintenance requirements can indicate a robust and well-designed too

Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We plan on ensuring a steady and comprehensive dissemination of our project's outputs and results through multiple platforms and approaches. Here is an extended version of how we plan to share these:

1. Code Commitments to MuesliSwapTeam Repositories: As we develop and refine our software tool, we will regularly make our code available in the repositories managed by our team, MuesliSwapTeam
2. Pull Requests and Issues on the Cardano-Node Repository: In order to make sure our tool is as compatible and harmonious as possible with the Cardano Node ecosystem, we will actively engage with the existing codebase and the community surrounding it
3. Educational and Informative Tweets through the @MuesliSwapTeam Twitter Account: To reach a broader audience and share the project’s results in a more accessible format, we will utilize our @MuesliSwapTeam Twitter account

Furthermore, we are considering writing comprehensive blog posts and articles that explain in more depth our findings, methodologies, and results.

Through these strategies, we aim to provide a thorough, accessible, and transparent account of our project's progression, findings, and outputs.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Our team at MuesliSwap has garnered a solid reputation within the community for successfully delivering sophisticated tech solutions. Our notable accomplishment includes the creation of the first Decentralized Exchange (DEX) on Cardano, launched months ahead of any competing platform. Moreover, our DEX uniquely features a hybrid model of Automated Market Maker (AMM) and Orderbook, combined with an integrated DEX Aggregator, which stands as a testament to our innovative abilities.

In addition to these achievements, our team has successfully seen through the completion of two projects funded under the Catalyst Fund 9. One of these projects is already public and fully operational, demonstrating our capability to deliver practical solutions within a defined timeframe.

Composed of a large group of devoted technology enthusiasts, we possess both the expertise and the manpower to ensure the timely and high-quality completion of this project.

Moreover, our team is well-versed in server management, as we independently operate and maintain all our servers. This first-hand experience enables us to effectively assess and address the needs of developers and server maintainers, further enhancing our capacity to execute this project with a high degree of trust and accountability.

What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The fundamental aim of this project is to enhance the accessibility of the Node, particularly for novice developers, and simplify its usage for local debugging and related tasks. The principal operation of our tool is to enable efficient mapping of the Node Socket from one computer to multiple others.

To initiate this project, our team will thoroughly analyze the Haskell codebase of the cardano-node. Our objective is to understand the interaction mechanisms of the node through its socket thoroughly. Upon achieving this understanding, we will devise a set of tools that can consistently map a remote node socket to a local machine.

Our preliminary evaluation has shown positive indications towards the feasibility of this approach. In addition, we have already conducted initial tests that have proven successful. These results provide a promising outlook for the effectiveness of our approach and the potential to achieve our main project goals.

Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

The projected timeline for our project is detailed below:

• First Month Post-Project Launch: During this initial phase, our primary objective will be to conduct a thorough analysis of the Node and present our findings. This stage will also involve outlining the theoretical framework for how the proposed tool will function and interact with the Node.
• Second Month: This month will be dedicated to developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). We plan to demonstrate the tool's potential functionality and identify any potential constraints that have surfaced during the development process up to this point.
• Third Month: By this stage, the aim is to finalize the majority of the toolset and apply any additional fine-tuning as necessary to enhance performance and usability.
• Fourth to Sixth Month: The final phase of the project will be primarily dedicated to further testing and evaluation. We will also engage with the community during this time, communicating updates and gathering feedback on the implemented features and overall tool performance.

By setting these distinct milestones, we aim to maintain a steady and organized pace throughout the project, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality results.

Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

• First Month Post-Project Launch: The major deliverable for this phase will be a detailed report, outlining the functional design and interactivity of the proposed toolset. This document will provide a thorough understanding of how the various components of the toolset will interact and function.
• Second Month: The main output of this phase will be a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This will serve as a tangible proof-of-concept, accompanied by illustrative examples and documentation on its usage.
• Third Month: During this phase, the primary goal is to further develop and enhance the toolchain. The expected outcome is a more robust and comprehensive toolset, equipped to meet the majority of common user requirements.
• Fourth to Sixth Months: Over these months, the primary deliverables will include regular updates and pull requests, made in response to community feedback. The intended outcome is an improved and refined toolset that effectively addresses user needs and suggestions.

Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

The work effort for each phase is divided based on the necessary workforce for each task, to accurately represent the higher cost associated with the expertise required by our developers. We have established an hourly rate of 150 ADA for a general developer and 250 ADA for Haskell/Backend developers. Here's the cost breakdown:

1st Month:

• Assessment of the Cardano-Node code: Estimated at 20 hours of work, which at the rate for a Haskell/Backend developer equates to 20 * 250 ADA.
• Identifying common use cases and performing requirement analysis: This task will require approximately 14 hours, translating to a cost of 14 * 150 ADA, based on the rate for a general developer.
• Designing tool components and their interactions: We expect this task to take around 8 hours, costing 8 * 150 ADA at the general developer rate.

2nd Month:

• Implementing the MVP: This phase will need roughly 40 hours of Haskell/Backend developer time, leading to a cost of 40 * 250 ADA, which equals 10,000 ADA.

3rd Month:

• Developing the final product: This task will require about the same amount of time as the MVP development, hence costing 40 * 250 ADA, or 10,000 ADA.

4th Month to Completion:

• Writing updates, community discussion, and code adjustments: These tasks are expected to take approximately 50 hours in total, costing 50 * 150 ADA, which amounts to 7,500 ADA.

Total: The estimated total cost for the project, based on the above breakdown, is 35,800 ADA.

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

The project is spearheaded by the MuesliSwap Team, a group highly respected within the community for their successful delivery of innovative, high-tech solutions. They were the pioneers in launching the first Decentralized Exchange (DEX) on Cardano, significantly ahead of any competitors.

Additionally they have already successfully concluded two projects that were funded under the Catalyst Fund 9, with the first of these projects being publicly accessible and fully operational. The team consists of a robust group of committed tech enthusiasts, possessing both the skillset and resources to see this project through to completion in a timely manner, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality product.

Each member of the MuesliSwap Team brings unique skills to the table, covering a broad spectrum of expertise necessary for a project of this scale. This includes developers specialized in Haskell and backend operations, front-end designers, project managers to oversee and coordinate the project, quality assurance personnel to ensure the high standard of the output, and community managers to maintain communication and gather feedback from the user community. Together, their combined experience and dedication make the MuesliSwap Team well-equipped to undertake and successfully complete this project.

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The development of a toolset for Cardano Node sharing will invariably add significant value to the entire Cardano community, and it is crucial that such a development be open and freely available to everyone. In line with this belief, we at MuesliSwap are committed to enriching the ecosystem through integration into open-source projects.

The potential effect on the ecosystem is immense. By offering this toolset free of charge and allowing its incorporation into popular and widely used software, we are paving the way for a transformative shift in the entire ecosystem, and that too in a short span of time.

The developer rates we have established are slightly lower than the standard rates prevalent within the ecosystem. The MuesliSwap Team is willing to absorb any additional costs because the team itself stands to benefit from the implementation. In essence, this project offers value for money by creating an impactful, community-enriching toolset at a reasonable and justifiable cost.