Use of nodes to monitor or manage peer to peer networks

Abstract

A method for controlling a computer entity to participate in a peer to peer network of a plurality of computer entities comprises, for each computer entity, operating a peer to peer protocol for enabling the computer entity to utilise resources of at least one other computer entity of the network, and for enabling at least one other computer entity of the network to utilise resources of the computer entity. Whenever the resources of a computer entity are not being used by a service application at a higher level layer than the peer to peer protocol, that computer entity is arranged to operate a process for managing at least one other computer entity in the network.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of computer science, and particularly although not exclusively, to peer to peer networks of connected computer entities. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION [0002] Known prior art computer networks comprise a plurality of interconnected computer entities. In the prior art, in order to manage prior art computer networks, network management systems have relied on centralisation of information at a management station. A management station can comprise one or more computer entities each provided with a management system allowing a human user to view a screen at which the whole network, or sections of the network are represented graphically as a set of nodes and links, and at which a set of parameters of a plurality of individual computers can be examined at the centralised management station. One or more human operators apply network management policies in order to perform network management operations such as configuring ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

There is no centralised management system and no individual human network managers to apply overall control of policies for configuring the network.

No single computer entity has the capability to manage or monitor the whole of the peer to peer network.

One problem with prior art peer to peer networks, is that the control which a user has over their computer entity, once it has joined a peer to peer network, is very crude.

The user has only a very basic control over which other computer entities can access the user's computer entity and there can arise conflicts in determining which user can access the computer entities at any one time in known peer to peer networks.

Other problems which occur in prior art peer to peer computer networks are those of users being incentivised to join a network.

In particular, by joining a network the owner of a computer entity may find that their computer is being used heavily by other users, and yet those other users provide few resources in return.

For example, in a Napster® network, a user may routinely download music files onto their own computer, but never supply any music files on their own computer for access by other users.

However, in a prior art peer to peer network, since all computers are treated as equivalent by the peer to peer protocol, and there is no overall one person or computer in charge of network management, there is no mechanism for isolation of a free loader computer in a network.

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