Dynamically Deploying Canisters

This repository demonstrates how to dynamically deploy canisters in Motoko using a Manager canister. The Manager is responsible for creating new Greeter canisters, setting their controllers, and managing them.

Overview

The Manager canister allows users to create new Greeter canisters dynamically. When a user calls createGreeter, the Manager:

1. Creates a new Greeter canister.
2. Assigns the caller as a controller.
3. Updates the canister settings using the IC Management Canister.

This approach enables on-demand canister deployment for multi-user applications.

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Process Flow

sequenceDiagram
    User->>Manager: Request to create a Greeter canister
    Manager->>Greeter: Instantiate new Greeter canister
    Manager->>IC: Update settings (assign controllers)
    IC-->>Manager: Confirm settings update
    Manager-->>User: Return Greeter canister ID
    User->>Greeter: Send greeting request
    Greeter-->>User: Respond with greeting message

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How It Works

1. Deploying the Manager Canister

The Manager is deployed first, allowing users to request Greeter canisters.

2. Creating a New Greeter Canister

• A user calls createGreeter(), passing their principal.
• The Manager:
  1. Instantiates a Greeter canister.
  2. Adds it to its list of greeters.
  3. Retrieves the Greeter canister ID.
  4. Updates the settings to assign the caller as a controller.
  5. Returns the canister ID to the caller.

3. Interacting with the Greeter Canister

• Users can interact with their Greeter canister by calling greet(name), which returns a personalized greeting.

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Deployment Instructions

1. Deploy the Manager canister:

   dfx deploy dynamic_canister_deployment_backend

2. Create a new Greeter canister:

   dfx canister call dynamic_canister_deployment_backend createGreeter

3. Interact with the Greeter:

   dfx canister call <greeter_canister_id> greet '("Alice")'

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Security Considerations

• Restricting Anonymous Calls:
  The inspect function ensures that anonymous calls are rejected.

• Access Control:
  Each Greeter canister only assigns control to its creator.