Decentralized Backend functionality for DWA's using mesh network methodology. Currently the permaweb has "web server" functionality, but not "app server" functionality. A web server provides clients with static assets such as images, html, javascript, cascading style sheets and so on. An application server’s primary job is to provide its clients with access to what is commonly called business logic, which is code that executes at the server side for each request/response pair. The business logic may produce dynamic content as part of its response. Communication between the application server and its clients might take the form of HTTP(S) messages, but this is not a requirement. Application servers can typically manage any type of message transfer, including WebSockets and many other protocols.

This is the gap that needs to be filled to make the decentralized static websites that currently exist on par with centralized websites.

An Arweave Decentralized Web Node is a service worker that is installed by a Decentralized Web App when a client is accessing the app. Inside the service worker
is a program that connects to other running ADWN's for that app by referencing a smartweave Warp contract for the index of indexer nodes who pass on a list of client nodes.

The ADWN at its core runs a mesh network program that connects to all the other nodes for the specific DWA. When a DWA is created, they deploy the indexer contract for their app, which is formatted to maintain a list of indexer nodes. The indexer contract can of course be used for other indexing purposes, such as asset and user indexing for the DWA. Above the core functionality, the ADWN can run Node.js programs, for example a messaging app, grub app, etc.

A client node is a singular instance of an ADWN. It can be either a master or slave node and that is determined on merit of its speed and reliability. Client nodes are also assigned to be Cluster Indexers as needed.

A indexer node is a node run specifically for the purpose of maintaining a list of familial clusters. Anyone can register as an indexer by going to the ADWN settings of the app and applying to become a indexer, or, by interacting with the smart contract directly. The contract's creators can restrict who can become an indexer thru creating roles in the indexer contract.

A cluster is a group of nodes created for the means of load balancing the mesh network. Its important for mesh networks to have a hierarchy of nodes, otherwise the routing of messages can become slow. Each cluster has master node which talk directly to other master nodes in the apps network. Master nodes are client nodes that are assigned factoring speed and reliability. A master node may be reassigned to another IP if that IP shows to be faster or more reliable. This ensures scalablity of the mesh network.

A familial cluster is a cluster of parent clusters master nodes. The master node of a familial cluster maintains a list of parent clusters who in turn maintain a list of child clusters who in turn maintain a list of client nodes. Whenever the work of maintaining the list of clusters reaches the limits of its reasonable capability, the network balances by creating a new cluster layer. Since the work of maintaining a simple list of connection addresses is quite low, this should not need to scale to many layers deep.