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Peer-to-Peer
Networks
- (February - 2009)
A
peer-to-peer network allows two or more PCs to pool their
resources together. Individual resources like disk drives,
CD-ROM drives, and even printers are transformed into shared,
collective resources that are accessible from every PC.
Unlike
client-server networks, where network information is stored on a
centralized file server PC and made available to tens, hundreds,
or thousands client PCs, the information stored across
peer-to-peer networks is uniquely decentralized.
Because peer-to-peer PCs have their own hard disk drives that
are accessible by all computers, each PC acts as both a client
(information requestor) and a server (information provider). A
peer-to-peer network can be built with either 10BaseT cabling
and a hub or with a thin coax backbone. 10BaseT is best for
small workgroups of 16 or fewer users that don't span long
distances, or for workgroups that have one or more portable
computers that may be disconnected from the network from time to
time.
After the
networking hardware has been installed, a peer-to-peer network
software package must be installed onto all of the PCs. Such a
package allows information to be transferred back and forth
between the PCs, hard disks, and other devices when users
request it. Popular peer-to-peer NOS software includes
Most NOSs
allow each peer-to-peer user to determine which resources will
be available for use by other users. Specific hard & floppy disk
drives, directories or files, printers, and other resources can
be attached or detached from the network via software. When one
user's disk has been configured so that it is "sharable", it
will usually appear as a new drive to the other users.
In other words, if user A has an A and C drive on his computer,
and user B configures his entire C drive as sharable, user A
will suddenly have an A, C, and D drive (user A's D drive is
actually user B's C drive). Directories work in a similar
fashion. If user A has an A & C drive, and user B configures his
"C:\WINDOWS" and "C:\DOS" directories as sharable, user A may
suddenly have an A, C, D, and E
drive
(user A's D is user B's C:\WINDOWS, and E is user B's C:\DOS).
Did you get all of that?
Because
drives can be easily shared between peer-to-peer PCs,
applications only need to be installed on one computer--not two
or three. If users have one copy of Microsoft Word, for example,
it can be installed on user A's computer--and still used by user
B.
The
advantages of peer-to-peer over client-server NOSs include:
No need
for a network administrator
Network is fast/inexpensive to setup & maintain
Each PC can make backup copies of its data to other PCs for
security. By far the easiest type of network to build,
peer-to-peer is perfect for both home and office use.
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