Can P2P applications learn to play fair on networks?

Mon Oct 29 16:28:21 UTC 2007

michael.dillon at bt.com wrote:
> 
>> And of course, if you still believe just adding bandwidth 
>> will solve the problems
> 
> Joe St. Sauver probably said it best when he pointed out in slide 5 here
> <http://www.uoregon.edu/~joe/i2-cap-plan/internet2-capacity-planning.ppt
> 
>    the "N-body" problem can be a complex problem to try to
>    solve except via an iterative and incremental process.
> 

> If P2P software relied on an ISP middlebox to mediate the transfers,
> then each middlebox could optimize the local situation by using a whole
> smorgasbord of tools. They could kill rogue sessions that don't use the
> middle box by using RSTs or simply triggering the ISP's OSS to set up
> ACLs etc. They could tell the P2P endpoints how many flows are allowed,
> maximum flowrate during specific timewindows, etc.

When we put the application intelligence in the network. We have to
upgrade the network to support new applications. I believe that's a
mistake from the application innovation angle.

Describing more accurately to the endpoints the properties of the
network(s) to which they are attached is something that is perhaps
desirable. most work in this area is historically done in the transport
area, but congestion control is not really the only angle from which to
approach the problem.

Host's treat network's as black boxes because they don't really have any
other choice in the matter.

> --Michael Dillon
> 