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Bandwidth Allocation in Peer-to-Peer Filesharing Networks

By: Albert Creus-Mir, Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Andres Hervas-Drane
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:22
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Abstract

We present a model of bandwidth allocation in a stylized peer-to-peer file sharing network with s peers (sharers) who share files and download from each other and f peers (freeriders) who download from sharers but do not contribute files. Assuming that upload bandwidth is scarcer than download bandwidth and efficient allocation, we compute the expected bandwidth obtained by each peer. We show that (i) while the exact formula is complex, s/(s + f) is a good approximation and (ii) sharers (freeriders) obtain bandwidth larger (smaller) than s/(s+f). The paper constitutes a first step towards a general analytical foundation for scarce resource allocation in peer-to-peer file sharing networks.

Keywords

Information Infrastructure; Resource Allocation

Citation

Creus-Mir, Albert, Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, and Andres Hervas-Drane. "Bandwidth Allocation in Peer-to-Peer Filesharing Networks." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 07-068, April 2007.

About The Author

Ramon Casadesus-Masanell

Strategy
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