What is P2P (Peer to Peer)?

P2P is a technology that has been phenomena that most programmers and surfers still marvel at. It offers a great platform for those that love downloading and more so when the files being downloaded are large in nature. P2P also has a great variety of qualities that make it also a great option for those that are looking into networking. For those that might not be conversant with what this one of a kind service has to offer, here is a simplified of what P2P is and what it can do for you or a business.

What is Peer to Peer?

While there are a variety of ways that P2P has been described with in the past, none of them offer a comprehensive definition of the program for those that might not be aware. Instead of having a definition, it would be more helpful if we listed the 7 characteristics that comprise of the P2P program which will do a better job at ensuring that the users and programmers alike understand the Peer to Peer platform better.

The characteristics of a P2P software include

  1. It is a software that runs outside the browser and at times may come with its own application.
  2. The computers that are using this system can either be clients or servers at any given point.
  3. It is a system that is well integrated and quite simplified for easy use.
  4. For users that might want to create additional content or add some other functionality, the system has tools to allow for this.
  5. The system is able to make connections with other users.
  6. The system is able to support cross-network protocols like XML-RPC and SOAP.
  7. The application is able to perform a variety of new and exciting things.

While there is no fit definition for P2P these 7 characteristics describe a P2P system and application quite comprehensively and makes it quite unique.

Advantages of a P2P Network.

While its characteristics may be quite the attraction, there are some advantages that also come in play that can shed quite some light on this type of networking and file sharing. These include;

  1. It’s very easy to set up and the configuration on the computers that will be using this type of network will also be relatively easy.
  2. All the resources and the contents on this network are shared by all the peers. This is what makes this system different from the client-server system. It also means that central dependency is eliminated and should anything go wrong with one of the devices then you would not lose all your content or files.
  3. It has a relatively low start-up and maintenance cost compared to the networking solutions.
  4. On a P2P platform, there is no need for there to be a system administrator since all of the users on this platform are administrators.

Disadvantages of P2P Networking and Applications.

While there may be a lot about the P2P platform that makes it completely astonishing, there are a few issues about it that may raise an eyebrow among them being;

  • This platform and its applications are less secure hence they have a more likelihood of being infected with viruses,malwares and Trojans.
  • It is very complex for you to back up information on this platform which makes it hard for data to be recovered.

Now that you know what a P2P program is and what it has to offer, it is easier for you to tell if it might be the ideal answer to your networking problem.