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Create a Database

You have two ways to work with zkDatabase: fully off-chain or using an on-chain rollup. Choosing the fully off-chain option keeps things simple, with no additional setup required. However, if you opt for the on-chain rollup, you'll need to create a database and deploy a smart contract on the Mina Protocol blockchain.

The on-chain smart contract is responsible for managing the database’s cryptographic state. Once the smart contract is deployed and the transaction is confirmed, you can register the database with the zkDatabase service by providing the public key and relevant metadata, such as the database name and Merkle tree height.

Let’s begin by exploring the fully off-chain database option.

Example​

import { ZkDatabase } from 'zkdb';

const zkdb = await ZkDatabase.connect({
  userName: "chiro-user",
  privateKey: "EKFTciRxyxshZjimay9sktsn7v5PvmC5zPq7q4JnitHUytxUVnFP",
  environment: "node",
  // This URL is for test environment
  url: "https://api.zkdatabase.org/graphql",
});

await zkdb.auth.signIn();


if (!(await zkdb.db('zkdb_test').exist())) {
  console.log(await zkdb.db('zkdb_test').create({ merkleHeight: 64 }));
}

await zkdb.auth.signOut();

Parameters​

  • merkleHeight (Number): The height of the Merkle tree that will represent the database's state. A larger Merkle height allows the database to handle more entries, but increases the cost of maintaining the tree.
Automatic Setup

When you create a database, the system automatically:

  • Creates a default 'admin' group containing the database owner
  • Adds the database owner to this admin group
  • Sets up the group for use as the default group for collections
  • Enqueues a deployment transaction for blockchain publication

What happens next:

Deploy Smart Contract​

You may need to user the zkDatabase Management tool to deploy the smart contract to perform on-chain rollup.