The ncast primitive for peer-to-peer networks

Abstract

Many emerging applications of peer-to-peer networking will benefit from new, more appropriate communication primitives at the transport level. This paper presents the design and preliminary implementation of two variants of a novel primitive termed ncast. Unlike conventional multiway communications, the ncast primitives are not based on identity; their semantics specify the number of message deliveries in a given collaborative peer group. Both variants provide a means for fulfilling message delivery quotas in a peer-to-peer network, but they differ in the strength of the semantics they provide. A description of this operation and its semantics is followed by examples and implementation outlines. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of issues relating to the utility of such primitives in collaborative peer group networks. © Springer-Verlag 2004.