The BitTorrent protocol

A peer-to-peer file sharing

protocol.
 Problem Addressed
• How do we transfer a piece of data quickly
to a group of people interested in it.
– Web server
– Distributors
– Redhat patches
• Soln: BitTorrent based file swarming
 Philosophy
• Author: Bram Cohen
• Based on Tit-for-tat
• Incentive - Uploading while downloading
• Pieces of files
 Overall Architecture
Web Server Tracker
Web page
with link
to .torrent
nt
.torre

C
A
Peer
Peer [Seed]
B
[Leech]
Downloader Peer
“US” [Leech]
 Overall Architecture
Web Server Tracker
Web page
with link
to .torrent

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et-a
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C
A
Peer
Peer [Seed]
B
[Leech]
Downloader Peer
“US” [Leech]
 Overall Architecture
Web Server Tracker
Web page
with link
to .torrent

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ons
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C
A
Peer
Peer [Seed]
B
[Leech]
Downloader Peer
“US” [Leech]
 Overall Architecture
Web Server Tracker
Web page
with link
to .torrent

Shake-hand
C
A
Sh Peer
ak
Peer e-h [Seed]
an
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[Leech]
Downloader Peer
“US” [Leech]
 Overall Architecture
Web Server Tracker
Web page
with link
to .torrent

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C
A pie
ce
s Peer
Peer [Seed]
B
[Leech]
Downloader Peer
“US” [Leech]
 Overall Architecture
Web Server Tracker
Web page
with link
to .torrent

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C
A pie
ce
s Peer
pie
Peer ce [Seed]
s
B
[Leech]
Downloader Peer
“US” [Leech]
 Overall Architecture
Web Server Tracker
Web page
with link
to .torrent

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Ge eer
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Peer ce [Seed]
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Downloader Peer
“US” [Leech]
 Messages
• Peer – Peer messages
– TCP Sockets
• Peer – Tracker messages
– HTTP Request/Response
• B-encoding
 .torrent
• url of the tracker
• Pieces <hash1,hash2,….hashn>
• Piece length
• Name
• Length
• Files
– Path
– length
 Tracker
• Peer cache
– IP, port, peer id
• State information
– Completed
– Downloading
• Returns random list
 Peer Operation
• Choking algorithm
– Choke/Unchoke
– Preferred peers
– Optimistic unchoke
– Snubbing behavior
• Prevented by Anti-snubbing.
• Upload to interested peers who are not
choking.
 Peer Operation
• Verify on receiving complete piece
• Endgame Behavior
– Cancel
Experimental Client
 Strengths
• Better bandwidth utilization
– Never before speeds.
• Up to 7 MB/s from the Internet.
• Limit free riding – tit-for-tat
• Limit leech attack – coupling upload &
download
• Spurious files not propagated
• Ability to resume a download
 Drawbacks
• Small files – latency, overhead
• Random list of peers - naive
• Scalability
– Millions of peers – Tracker behavior (uses 1/1000 of
bandwidth)
– Single point of failure
• Robustness
– System progress dependent on altruistic nature of
seeds (and peers)
– Malicious attacks and leeches.
 MNL’s Interest
• Robustness
– Devise possible attacks and find loopholes
– Secure against attacks
• Scalability
– Sharing across files
– Millions of users
• Possible extensions
– Peer optimization
• Upload just enough to maximize your download.
– Intelligent tracker
• Peer selection policy
– Dead sites
• Share html content
 Optimism - hack
• Connect to as many peers as possible
• Benefit
– Optimistic unchoking
– Probability of free download increases
 Peer upload optimization
• Upload enough to
stay within the
preferred list of as
many peers as download
possible
• Get the best
download deal with upload
minimum required
upload
 Smarter tracker
• Classify peers
• Pick at random from Peers
each of these subsets
Fast Slow Completed
• No compromise on
random choice
• Will lead to a more
progressive peer
network.
 Interesting links
• Official site: [Link]
• BitTorrent FAQ: [Link]
• Torrent sites
– [Link]
– [Link]
– [Link]
Remember
– leave your download windows open
– Big brother is watching!