P2P functions/characteristics
One way of understanding a P2P network is to examine its characteristics. These include the following:
Nodes that contribute resources to the system, including:
Data storage
Computational resources
They provide support for a set of services
They are very scalable and fault tolerant
They support load balancing of resources
They may support limited anonymity
The nature of P2P systems is that a user may not be able to access a specific node to use a service or resources. As nodes join and leave a system randomly, a specific node may not be available. The algorithm will determine how the system responds to requests.
The basics functions of a P2P system include:
Enrollment of peers in a network
Peer discovery—the process of determining which peer has the information of interest
Sending messages between peers
Not all peers perform all of these functions.
The resources of a P2P system are identified using a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) that is usually generated using a secure...
