Show HN: Aspen – Distributed Data Platform

This post is to announce Aspen, a new player in the distributed data space. It's designed to fill a niche which is currently not well-served by existing tools which is to be a general-purpose distributed data platform for building higher-level applications like object stores, distributed file systems, distributed indices, databases, etc.

What sets Aspen apart is that it uses a new approach to achieving scale that focuses on maximizing flexibility both in options available during application design and for run-time operation of the system in the field. The goal is for Aspen to serve as a common foundational component across a wide variety of applications to spread the maintenance burden and foster collaboration. Furthermore, its unique architecture is intentionally unlike that of existing systems and will allow distributed system designers to approach problems from new angles. The hope is that this system will naturally lend itself to some of the problems that are not well-suited to existing distributed data management technologies.