When it comes to decentralized cloud computing, there are several major projects aiming to change the way we power applications. However, developing a protocol is more than just about providing a technical solution. It’s also about developing the foundations necessary to build a thriving ecosystem of developers and users.

iExec (RLC) is one project that has already launched a number of useful blockchain-based solutions. The iExec Marketplace, iExec SDK, Dapp Store, and Data Wallet (launching in v3, scheduled for release on 05/31/2019) all present excellent examples of this.

In this article, I’ll explain how I tried to learn more about this project via the iExec SDK. I’ll also look at how this project is actively building innovative use cases for the RLC token.

Note: This is a story about my own user experience with the iExec SDK and doesn’t serve as an all-encompassing tutorial. You can find more information by going to the main documentation page or the iExec project Github.

There are already several innovative use cases for the iExec project and RLC tokens.

Examining the Details of the iExec SDK

Yes, most of the top blockchain projects on the market today rely upon an open-source community. While many have enough documentation for highly-experienced developers to contribute to their efforts, many lack basic tutorials of how to begin utilizing their protocols.

In contrast, iExec offers resources that allow users to not only understand the fundamentals of iExec development but also how to build real-world applications for the iExec project. According to the project website, iExec offers CLI and JS libraries that allow developers to overcome Ethereum scalability issues by executing ‘off-chain’ computations through the iExec decentralized cloud.

My Experience Using the iExec SDK (Beginner Level Tutorial on Katacoda)

The tutorial has two main purposes. First, it shows how users can initialize and submit their own their own iExec dapps. Second, it shows the process of how users can submit and fill work orders for real-world tasks (i.e. object rendering).

Note that, as of October 2018, it appears that developers can only easily deploy testnet dapps. However, developers will soon also be able to deploy on the mainnet.

When you click “Try Our Tutorial” on the iExec project website, you can begin the process of learning the basics of the iExec SDK. You’ll be redirected to a Katacoda tutorial.

The iExec SDK tutorial can be found on Katacoda.com. You’ll need to sign up first, though.

You’ll probably also want to try the dapp deployment process using your machine’s CLI. Katacoda is helpful in verifying that you get the intended results when you input each command. However, I ran into a bit of trouble at Step 3 of 3.

Even beginners can follow tutorials to understand how to initialize an iExec project, check wallet balances, and more via Katacoda’s step-by-step tutorial and terminal simulator.

The process of getting test ETH is simple.

It’s important to note that not all steps of this simulation are automated. You’ll have to get some test ETH for the Kovan Testnet. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this, but the best way is probably to utilize Gitter.im. Luckily, a good tutorial exists for that process already.

Screenshot from https://gitter.im/kovan-testnet/faucet

Once you have the necessary funds, you can return to the tutorial and proceed. The most direct option is to send funds to the address listed in the Katacoda terminal. Alternatively, you can request funds to be sent to your Metamask account or use existing funds in Metamask. Then, you can transfer these funds to your simulation RLC wallet, which can hold both testnet ETH and nRLC.

Step 2 — Deploying an iExec App

Once you have ETH and RLC funds, you’re ready to get started with app deployment. However, according to the Katacoda tutorial, your app needs to be dockerized and publicly available on the Docker hub. If you don’t include this step, you won’t be able to deploy. I wish that the Katacoda tutorial for the iExec SDK would also include a step-by-step process on how to accomplish this.

When using the Katacoda platform, I found that it’s not possible to change information via normal CLI commands like “nano iexec.json” for making edits to the default application. Still, you can do this simply by editing the file at the top of the page. I tried to deploy the app; however, I didn’t receive any response from the Katacoda terminal at first. To verify that no deployment took place, I used the “iexec app count” command and saw that 0 apps were found.

The app deployment didn’t work out well for me via Katacoda. I eventually got it to work, but I also looked for other solutions after trying this out.

Eventually, I was able to use Katacoda. However, on Step 3 of 3, I found that I had to request 13,353 or more RLC just to simulate a work order. I went back to Step 1 of 3 and requested more RLC, but this solution didn’t work.