Peer to Peer
PEER TO PEER ARCHITECTURE : Synopsis
In a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, every machine plays the role of client and server at the same time. Although a P2P network has a number of advantages over the traditional client-server model in terms of efficiency and fault-tolerance, additional security threats can be introduced. Users and IT administrators need to be aware of the risks from propagation of malicious code, the legality of downloaded content, and vulnerabilities within peer-to-peer software. Security and preventative measures should be implemented to protect from any potential leakage of sensitive information and possible security breaches. Within corporate networks, system administrators need to ensure that peer-to-peer traffic complies with the corporate security policy. In addition, they should only open a minimal set of firewall ports to allow for such traffic. For end-users and/or home users, precautions must also be taken to avoid the possible spread of viruses over peer-to-peer networks.
CLASSIFICATION OF P2P NETWORKS
P2P networks can be roughly classified into two types — “pure P2P networks” and “hybrid P2P networks”.
In a pure P2P network, all participating peers are equal, and each peer plays both the role of client and of server. The system does not rely on a central server to help control, coordinate, or manage the exchanges among the peers. Gnutella and Freenet are examples of a pure P2P network.
In a hybrid P2P network, a central server exists to perform certain “administrative” functions to facilitate P2P services. Only a catalogue of available files is kept on the server, while the actual files are scattered across the peers on the network. Example: BitTorrent (BT), where a central server called a tracker helps coordinate communication among BT peers in order to complete a
In a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, every machine plays the role of client and server at the same time. Although a P2P network has a number of advantages over the traditional client-server model in terms of efficiency and fault-tolerance, additional security threats can be introduced. Users and IT administrators need to be aware of the risks from propagation of malicious code, the legality of downloaded content, and vulnerabilities within peer-to-peer software. Security and preventative measures should be implemented to protect from any potential leakage of sensitive information and possible security breaches. Within corporate networks, system administrators need to ensure that peer-to-peer traffic complies with the corporate security policy. In addition, they should only open a minimal set of firewall ports to allow for such traffic. For end-users and/or home users, precautions must also be taken to avoid the possible spread of viruses over peer-to-peer networks.
CLASSIFICATION OF P2P NETWORKS
P2P networks can be roughly classified into two types — “pure P2P networks” and “hybrid P2P networks”.
In a pure P2P network, all participating peers are equal, and each peer plays both the role of client and of server. The system does not rely on a central server to help control, coordinate, or manage the exchanges among the peers. Gnutella and Freenet are examples of a pure P2P network.
In a hybrid P2P network, a central server exists to perform certain “administrative” functions to facilitate P2P services. Only a catalogue of available files is kept on the server, while the actual files are scattered across the peers on the network. Example: BitTorrent (BT), where a central server called a tracker helps coordinate communication among BT peers in order to complete a