P2P+(Peer-to-peer)

=Peer-to-Peer (P2P)= toc

Introduction

 * Peer-to-peer (P2P)** networks are computer networks that are very common and popular in the Internet today. This type of connection between two or more computers relies on the computing power and the bandwidth provided by the participants within the networks. By using this method of connection, sharing files or other activities that involves with two or more computers connecting together are proven to be more efficient and effective than the old client-server model, where connections tends to concentrates within a low number of servers.

What is it and how it works?
P2P network is a very useful multi-propose medium for computers to connect together for sharing files (such as videos, audio, as well as data) or also using realtime data programs (such as telephony traffic - Skype). In a P2P network, two or more computers are connected to each other, providing computing powers, bandwidth, and storage spaces to each other. The more computers are connected, the faster the data will be distributed, since more computers add more resources provided.

P2P vs. Client-Server
In a P2P network, the more computers that are connected within the network, the faster and effective the data would be distributed. Compared to the client-server model, in the P2P network there are no clients or servers, but all peers play the roles of both client and server. In a client-server network, all connections within the networks travel through a central server, where it then later distributes data out. By having more peers participating in a client-server network, it usually would drag down the bandwidth and creates lag, whereas in a P2P network where peers provides bandwidth would do the opposite – increasing speed.

Examples of P2P Networks
The earliest P2P network that was ever introduced was the Usenet news server system in the year 1980. The once well-known [|Napster] is also a P2P network, where it once was famous for sharing Mp3 files illegally (violating copyrights).





One of the most popular P2P softwares on the market is the Bittorrent software

Some other examples of P2P are: [| BearShare] [| Kazaa] [| LimeWire] [| Morpheus] [| Shareaza]

Types of P2P Networks
If one were to categorize P2P networks based on its degree of centralization, there would be two types of P2P networks: Pure P2P and Hybrid P2P networks.

Pure P2P Network:
In a “pure” P2P network, everybody that participates within it is considered to be equal. There is no distinguishing between clients and servers, since all peers are doing both roles at the same time (uploading and downloading). Within the network, it would not have any central server or router managing it. Examples of a pure P2P networks would be [|Gnutella] and [|Freenet], where they used P2P structure for all purposes.

Hybrid P2P Network:
In a hybrid P2P network, it has a central server for maintaining information that was provided by peers. With these data all stored within the central server, anybody that request for that information would be immediately respond back by the central server, directing it towards the peer where the information originally came from. This type of P2P network uses both the client-server model and the P2P network model merging them together. Although the central server contains these informations, it does not contain the actual files within itself. Example of a hybrid P2P network would be Napster or [|Kazaa]. These networks use the client-server model for their search functions and P2P network model for the rest.

Since the developments of P2P, the ways people use the Internet has changed drastically. Downloading has become the new trend for every Internet user. For years now, the music industry has suffered greatly from the effects of P2P. The fact that music can be digitalized (MP3s and other formats), makes them more vulnerable to the ill effect of P2P. With the increasing speed of today's Internet and the small file size of a CD-like-quality song, music can be downloaded of P2P softwares like Kazaa and Napster in less than two or three minutes.

Effect of Napster Case
In 2000, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sued Napster, one of the biggest music downloading software/company at that time, "because it launched a service that enables and facilitates piracy of music on an unprecedented scale" (RIAA) Napster used the P2P system for allowing illegal download of copyrighted files as well as providing an internal search function that can broswe through user's computer for other people to download it. Napster had lost the fight against RIAA and was shut down. With the shutdown of the central system, everything ceased to exist. After seeing the collasped of Napster, other similar network converted into a fully decentralize system to prevent from walking in the path of Napster. Even if the programs/companies were sued and closed down, it would not completely destroy the network.

Work Cited
- "Peer-to-Peer." __Wikipedia__. 3 Nov. 2006 <[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer-to-peer>.]

- "Frequently Asked Question - Napster and Digital Music." __Recording Industry Assoctiation of America__. 2003. 8 Dec. 2006 <[|http://www.riaa.com/News/filings/napster_faq.asp>.]

Image of networking links: http://www.tracep2p.net/data/trace_sw.gif