Comments on: P2P Multicast Feed Distribution with FeedTree http://www.fridgebuzz.com/2005/11/30/p2p-multicast-feed-distribution-with-feedtree/ Posts and pointers on software, art, math, noise, and other obsessions... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:14:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: vanessa http://www.fridgebuzz.com/2005/11/30/p2p-multicast-feed-distribution-with-feedtree/#comment-26 vanessa Sun, 07 Jan 2007 19:24:35 +0000 http://www.fridgebuzz.com/2005/11/30/p2p-multicast-feed-distribution-with-feedtree/#comment-26 Thanks for writing, Dan. You're right that JXTA is a super-peer network, so it doesn't scale quite as well as a pure peer one. However, one thing you might be able to do to distribute the load is to have any non-NATed peers self-promote themselves to be JXTA relays. That way you're not dependent on a few dedicated relays. Your resources will grow along with the number of users, but not at the same rate. I am working on implementing a scheme like this myself, so I can't say for sure yet how well it works or how difficult it is to do. It's just a thought. Thanks for writing, Dan. You’re right that JXTA is a super-peer network, so it doesn’t scale quite as well as a pure peer one. However, one thing you might be able to do to distribute the load is to have any non-NATed peers self-promote themselves to be JXTA relays. That way you’re not dependent on a few dedicated relays. Your resources will grow along with the number of users, but not at the same rate. I am working on implementing a scheme like this myself, so I can’t say for sure yet how well it works or how difficult it is to do. It’s just a thought.

]]> By: Dan Sandler http://www.fridgebuzz.com/2005/11/30/p2p-multicast-feed-distribution-with-feedtree/#comment-25 Dan Sandler Sun, 07 Jan 2007 19:23:18 +0000 http://www.fridgebuzz.com/2005/11/30/p2p-multicast-feed-distribution-with-feedtree/#comment-25 Thanks for taking a hard look at FeedTree! I'm always looking for thoughtful feedback from users and researchers. It looks like JXTA supports seamless behind-the-NAT operation by using dedicated relay nodes (I'm not a JXTA expert by any measure, so I might have gotten this wrong). We could probably add something like that to FreePastry if there's great enough demand, but such a scheme will have an impact on the ultimate scalability of the network (e.g. with many users relying on a few relays, we're no longer adding resources to the network proportional to the demand on the network). I agree that port forwarding is highly unpleasant; it would be nice to do away with it entirely. However, plenty of home Internet users have figured out how to get multiplayer games and other p2p apps running behind their firewalls (either by fiddling with ports or just by checking the "DMZ" box on their router configuration); FeedTree's setup cost is no greater. As for the mobility issue, at the moment you can restart your proxy when you change locations and things should work fine. (We could also try to detect this change in location and perform the reboot seamlessly.) Another approach for mobility would be to establish a persistent proxy (e.g. on your desktop), and use that proxy when travelling. [This is the solution I currently use, but it won't work for everyone.] Oh, and, yes, the publisher needs a GUI. Working on it! :) Thanks for taking a hard look at FeedTree! I’m always looking for thoughtful feedback from users and researchers.

It looks like JXTA supports seamless behind-the-NAT operation by using dedicated relay nodes (I’m not a JXTA expert by any measure, so I might have gotten this wrong). We could probably add something like that to FreePastry if there’s great enough demand, but such a scheme will have an impact on the ultimate scalability of the network (e.g. with many users relying on a few relays, we’re no longer adding resources to the network proportional to the demand on the network).

I agree that port forwarding is highly unpleasant; it would be nice to do away with it entirely. However, plenty of home Internet users have figured out how to get multiplayer games and other p2p apps running behind their firewalls (either by fiddling with ports or just by checking the “DMZ” box on their router configuration); FeedTree’s setup cost is no greater.

As for the mobility issue, at the moment you can restart your proxy when you change locations and things should work fine. (We could also try to detect this change in location and perform the reboot seamlessly.) Another approach for mobility would be to establish a persistent proxy (e.g. on your desktop), and use that proxy when travelling. [This is the solution I currently use, but it won't work for everyone.]

Oh, and, yes, the publisher needs a GUI. Working on it! :)

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