## Core Components
1. **Smart Contracts**:\
Enforces the ICN economic & resource allocation system, and implements the performance validation logic.
2. **ScalerNodes**:\
Base resource unit node in the protocol. Physical servers of specific hardware class provisioned to the network by Hardware Providers.
3. **Daemon**:\
Core diagnostic agent for provisioning, telemetry, and hardware response. Provisioning of ScalerNodes is achieved through the installation of the Daemon.
4. **HyperNodes**:\
Independent validator nodes verifying Hardware resource quality and performance. HyperNodes reports are evaluated by the ICN Smart Contracts, ensuring that Builders receive the expected quality of service.
5. **Satellite Network**:\
Guarantees the availability and integrity of off-chain challenge data. In the current implementation, the Satellite Network is bootstrapped as part of the system setup.
6. **Services & Apps**:\
Builders book capacity in the network in ScalerNode units and deploy services and applications at scale.
## Protocol Lifecycle
Fig. Protocol Lifecycle
The ICN architecture operates via a streamlined workflow that ensures efficiency and accountability:
1. **Provisioning**:\
ScalerNodes join the protocol under a specific hardware class and Daemons are deployed.
2. **Resourcing**:\
Builders, via the Console, book capacity in ScalerNode units in a specific region and access to the hardware is provided for deployment of services.
3. **Monitoring**:\
HyperNodes continuously audit performance metrics against the Daemons and submit reports off-chain to the Satellite Network. Daemons and HyperNodes execute challenges in sync via an Indexer from events captured from Smart Contracts.
4. **On-chain Settlement**:\
Smart contracts settle penalties and rewards based on challenge results from the Satellite Network and commit verifications.
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