Embedded Programming with the Microsoft® .NET Micro Framework

Peer-to-Peer Model

The peer-to-peer (P2P) model, also known as distributed transient networking or ad hoc, an alternative to the client/server model, involves spreading responsibilities across a collection of network nodes, possibly transient, in varying degrees of decentralization. In so-called "pure" P2P, every node is equal, each acting as a client and a server. In hybrid P2P, one or more central servers act as routers and dispatchers to the various peers, each having specialized responsibilities or possessing specific resources. These models are especially resilient because they distribute the risk of failure from any single node. Some common applications using this networking approach are peer-to-peer file-sharing protocols such as BitTorrent ...