BitTorrent
Explore the BitTorrent protocol as a hybrid peer-to-peer file sharing system used for distributing files in chunks among multiple peers. Understand the role of trackers, torrent files, and the tit-for-tat incentive scheme that encourages peers to upload data. This lesson helps you grasp how BitTorrent manages decentralized data transfer efficiently.
We'll cover the following...
We have already had an overview of what the Peer-to-peer and Hybrid architectures are. BitTorrent falls more in the hybrid category than pure P2P. Here it is on a spectrum of decentralization:
Overview of BitTorrent
BitTorrent is a protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing. A BitTorrent Client is an application that uses this protocol.
Since BitTorrent is based on a hybrid architecture, it retains some centralized components.
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For example, a central controller that maintains a list of participating nodes is involved.
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But the centralized component is not involved in resource-intensive operations. So there will never be too much load on it.
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Data is instead ...