Blazing iconBlazing

DFC Provider

Edit on GitHub

Configure Digital Frontier Cloud for cost-effective Akash-based deployments

Digital Frontier Cloud (DFC) provides curated, cost-effective infrastructure on the Akash Network with zero egress fees and ~60% cost savings compared to GCP.

What is DFC?

DFC runs on the Akash Network but with curated, high-reliability providers vetted by Digital Frontier. This gives you:

  • Zero egress fees: No data transfer costs
  • 60% cheaper compute: Compared to equivalent GCP resources
  • Reliability: Vetted providers with proven uptime
  • Same interface: Standard Kubernetes deployment

Basic Configuration

YAML

Configuration Reference

Status Field

YAML

Define DFC's priority in provider selection:

  • prefer: Primary provider (use first)
  • allow: Acceptable provider (use if preferred unavailable)
  • fallback: Emergency provider (use only when others fail)

Akash Provider Whitelist

Optionally restrict to specific Akash providers:

YAML

When to use whitelist:

  • Compliance requirements (specific countries)
  • Performance optimization (specific regions)
  • Cost predictability (known providers)

When to omit whitelist:

  • Maximum flexibility
  • Geographic diversity
  • Automatic failover to any DFC provider

Public Gateway Configuration

YAML

Important: Only enable gateway on one provider per deployment.

Recommendation: Use GCP gateway for maximum reliability:

YAML

Complete Examples

Cost-Optimized Setup

DFC as primary, GCP as backup:

YAML

Result: Maximum cost savings with GCP fallback.

Reliability-First Setup

GCP primary, DFC for burst:

YAML

Result: Reliable baseline with cost-effective burst.

Geographic Restriction

EU-only deployment:

YAML

Result: Compliant EU deployment on DFC.

DFC Locations

Current DFC provider locations (growing):

North America

  • Chicago, IL: akash1...chicago
  • Ashburn, VA: akash1...ashburn
  • Los Angeles, CA: akash1...la

Europe

  • Sofia, Bulgaria: akash1aaul837r7en7hpk9wv2svg8u78fdq0t2j2e82z
  • Frankfurt, Germany: akash1xmz9es9ay9ln9x2m3q5dlu0hkpqyg37h4gqd3l
  • London, UK: akash1...london

Asia-Pacific

  • Singapore: akash1...singapore
  • Tokyo, Japan: akash1...tokyo

Cost Comparison

Compute Costs

Based on 2 CPU, 4GB RAM workload:

| Provider | Compute | Egress (1TB) | Total/Month | Savings | |----------|---------|--------------|-------------|---------| | GCP Standard | $40 | $5 | $45 | Baseline | | DFC | $24 | $0 | $24 | 47% | | Akash | $12 | $0 | $12 | 73% |

Example: 10 Replica Service

With min_replicas: 3, max_replicas: 10:

All GCP Standard

YAML

Cost: ~$450/month (10 replicas × $45)

GCP Baseline + DFC Burst

YAML

Cost: ~$303/month

  • GCP baseline (3): $135
  • DFC burst (7): $168

Savings: $147/month (33%)

DFC Primary + GCP Fallback

YAML

Cost: ~$240/month (10 replicas × $24)

Savings: $210/month (47%)

DFC Features

Compute

  • ✅ CPU: Any size
  • ✅ Memory: Any size
  • ✅ GPU: NVIDIA GPUs available
  • ✅ Autoscaling: Full HPA support
  • ✅ Spot pricing: Built-in with Akash bidding

Networking

  • ✅ Zero egress fees
  • ✅ Public IPs: Via gateway
  • ✅ TLS: Let's Encrypt automation
  • ✅ Load balancing: Gateway-based
  • ⚠️ IPv6: Provider-dependent

Storage

  • ✅ Persistent volumes: Provider-dependent
  • ✅ Ephemeral storage: Full support
  • ✅ Encrypted volumes: Provider-dependent
  • ⚠️ Managed databases: Use external services

Security

  • ✅ VPC isolation: Provider-dependent
  • ✅ Network policies: Full Kubernetes support
  • ⚠️ Confidential compute: Roadmap
  • ⚠️ Compliance certs: GDPR self-certification

Best Practices

1. Use DFC for Stateless Workloads

Good: API servers, workers, batch jobs

YAML

Avoid: Databases without replication, single-instance services

2. Combine with GCP for Reliability

YAML

This provides:

  • Reliable baseline on GCP
  • Cost-effective burst on DFC
  • Automatic failover

3. Use GCP Gateway

YAML

GCP gateway provides:

  • Global load balancing
  • Better uptime SLA
  • Integrated monitoring

4. Monitor Provider Performance

Track DFC provider metrics:

YAML

Watch for:

  • High latency providers
  • Frequent restarts
  • Low availability

Limitations

Current Limitations

  1. No managed databases: Use external DB services or GCP
  2. Variable provider performance: Some providers better than others
  3. No automatic provider scoring: Manual whitelist for consistency
  4. Limited compliance certifications: GDPR via self-certification only

Workarounds

Database Workloads:

YAML

Consistent Performance:

YAML

Compliance Requirements:

YAML

Provider Selection Algorithm

DFC providers are scored based on:

Python

Troubleshooting

"Provider capacity exceeded"

Error:

Plain Text

Solution 1: Remove whitelist for more options:

YAML

Solution 2: Add GCP fallback:

YAML

"High latency from DFC"

Issue: DFC provider in distant region

Solution: Use geographic scope:

YAML

"Gateway unreachable"

Error:

Plain Text

Solution: Switch to GCP gateway:

YAML

Migration Path

From All-GCP to GCP+DFC

Phase 1: Add DFC as fallback

YAML

Phase 2: Promote DFC to allow

YAML

Phase 3: DFC as primary for burst

YAML

Monitor costs at each phase and adjust based on performance.

DFC Roadmap

Coming Soon

  • Confidential compute: TEE support on select providers
  • Managed databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL via DFC
  • Enhanced monitoring: Provider performance dashboard
  • Auto-whitelist: AI-driven provider selection

Future Plans

  • Geographic guarantees: Certified provider locations
  • Compliance certifications: SOC2, ISO27001
  • Multi-region replication: Automated data sync

Next Steps

GCP Provider Configuration
Akash Provider Configuration