Analysis of peer-to-peer file dissemination

Abstract

In recent years, overlay networks have proven a popular way of disseminating potentially large files from a single server S to a potentially large group of N end users via the Internet. A number of algorithms and protocols have been suggested, implemented and studied. In particular, much attention has been given to peer-to-peer (P2P) systems such as BitTorrent [5], Slurpie [20], SplitStream [4], Bullet [11] and Avalanche [6]. The key idea is that the file is divided into M parts of equal size and that a given user may download any one of these - or, for Avalanche, linear combinations of these - either from the server or from a peer who has previously downloaded it.