Bit Torrent : An Analysis

Bit Torrent : An Analysis

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Hardy news site, The Register, recently published a detailed analysis of the file sharing protocol Bit Torrent. Bit Torrent has recieved attention in the main stream news after reports that it was carrying as much as 50% of all peer 2 peer (p2p) traffic, which in tern amounted to a massive 30% of all the traffic on the internet. The paper, by Dr. Johan Pouwelse, examines the protocol and looks especially at one of the largest bit-torrent hubs, Suprnova.org. He examines how just 20 moderators solve the problem of fake files, something that plagues the traditional file sharing networks like Kazaa.

Dr Powelse notes that the major problems facing hubs like suprnova are fakes and maintaining hub availability. The availability of files on bit torrent iis based on a centralised system; without it, the network fails as users cannot access the trackers. Decentralising bit torrent has already begun - Suprnova have started a project called "Exeem" which apparently has 5,000 beta testers trialling it, and has an ultimate aim of taking the best of Kazaa (a decentralised network) and merging it with Bit Torrent. Decentralisation removes the issue of poor availability at the tracker end, yet it also provides more scope for fake files and a reduction in data integrity at the user end.

The paper concludes that bit-torrent needs to evolve to create incentives to users to seed files. Bit-torrent as a protocol is a system that’s here to stay; it enjoys more and more usage from more main stream content providers. Yes, there is a lot of illegitimate use of the protocol, but unlike Kazaa, these users should not be allowed to over shadow the usefulness to legitimate users of the bit torrent protocol.

[Update] Since this article was published, Suprnova has shutdown as a hub for torrents. Although this cannot be confirmed, the shutdown is very likely related to legal action from the Hollywood against tracker websites; earlier in the week many other sites were taken down. The effectiveness of the takedowns could be massive; the paper below notes that when on the Suprnova mirrors went offline during their monitoring period, they saw a massive reduction in the number of users downloading files through the site.

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ermmm, link to your source :rolleyes:

I remember reading that article...or one very similar to it. Can't remember where though.

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Originally Posted by RPerry

ermmm, link to your source :rolleyes:

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srry

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12...ents_analysis/

30% of all the traffic on the internet :ohmy: dint know it was that big.

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Originally Posted by ziggyjuarez

30% of all the traffic on the internet :ohmy: dint know it was that big.

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you said it correct, was

I think it dropped big time this week

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Originally Posted by ziggyjuarez

30% of all the traffic on the internet :ohmy: dint know it was that big.

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I don't know about that. 30% seems way to high to me.

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Originally Posted by razorsharp013

I don't know about that. 30% seems way to high to me.

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Seems wrong to me as well. Which part of the article says this Ziggy? I read it all but can't see this figure anywhere... :unsure:

99% of statistics about the internet are fake 100% of the time

but 76.25% of stats are made up on the spot

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Originally Posted by Withcheese

Seems wrong to me as well. Which part of the article says this Ziggy? I read it all but can't see this figure anywhere... :unsure:

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keep looking ;) its on the top

Withcheese, it's in the first paragraph(half way down).


30%(ish) sounds about right to me(only my opinion), what else on the internet shares such a massive volume(or is it volumn?) of file sizes?

I mean, a friend of mine has a 1gb d/l limit per month on a 1mb line which he's quite happy with cos he doesn't d/l movies, I know loads of people that are happy doing this as well.

Now me, I have a 1/2mb line but it's unlimited and cos I d/l movies I regularly pass the 20 or 30gb's per month, so I d/l as much as 30 other users on the internet, then chuck in the "power" users with the big connections with unlimited and, well........you get the picture. ;)

think about it in terms of volume though...what are the uses for the internet?

P2P downloading (incl movie streaming)
Website Viewing
Email traffic
Legal Downloading (Linux etc)

Now, the middle 2 dont use much bandwidth relative to people who download 800MB avis and even dvd-9's, so they are pretty small in comparison. That leaves Downloading p2p and legally. If you goto linuxiso.org and look around, most of these can be done BT stylee in order to help the mirrors of the distros out. Undoubtadly BT is becoming one of (if not the) the main p2p systems used, and it is used for the majority of dvd-rs (well i havent found a replacement system yet).

So when you actually think about it 30% isnt all the big.