A
peer-to-peer (abbreviated to
P2P) computer network is
one in which each computer in the network can act as a client or server
for the other computers in the network, allowing shared access to
various resources such as files,
peripherals,
and sensors without the need for a central server. P2P networks can be
set up within the home, a business, or over the Internet. Each network
type requires all computers in the network to use the same or a
compatible program to connect to each other and access files and other
resources found on the other computer. P2P networks can be used for
sharing content such as audio, video, data, or anything in digital
format.
P2P is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks
or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged participants in
the application. Each computer in the network is referred to as a
node.
The owner of each computer on a P2P network would set aside a portion
of its resources—such as processing power, disk storage, or network
bandwidth—to be made directly available to other network participants,
without the need for central coordination by servers or stable hosts.
[1]
With this model, peers are both suppliers and consumers of resources
and also it can supplement the user detection and recovery and improve
quality assurance activity of the product., in contrast to the
traditional
client–server
model where only the server supply (send), and clients consume
(receive). Emerging collaborative P2P systems are going beyond the era
of peers doing similar things while sharing resources, and are looking
for diverse peers that can bring in unique resources and capabilities to
a virtual community thereby empowering it to engage in greater tasks
beyond those that can be accomplished by individual peers, yet that are
beneficial to all the peers.
[2]
The first P2P distributed system platform was Pipes Platform by PeerLogic.
[citation needed] One of PeerLogic's first licensees was
Texas Instruments in 1993. While P2P systems were used in many application domains,
[3] the first P2P killer application was the file sharing system
Napster,
originally released in 1999. The concept has inspired new structures
and philosophies in many areas of human interaction. P2P networking is
not restricted to technology; it also covers social processes with a P2P
dynamic. In such context,
social peer-to-peer processes are currently emerging throughout the
society.
