Fragmented File Sharing via Policy-Enforced Manifests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) fragmented file sharing systems, such as BitTorrent, face reliability and security issues, limiting their commercial viability for distributing valuable content.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for distributing content by fragmenting digital content into subsets, using manifests with policies for integrity, confidentiality, and authorization, and employing trackers and policy enforcement points to ensure secure and reliable distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If P2P fragmented file sharing systems are used for content distribution, then distribution flexibility and scalability are improved, but reliability and security deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tracker server as an intermediary component that coordinates between uploaders and downloaders. The tracker receives announcements from uploaders about available content fragments and responds to search requests from downloaders, facilitating reliable peer discovery and connection without requiring direct peer-to-peer trust relationships. This mediator approach maintains the decentralized distribution model while improving system reliability through centralized coordination.
2Adaptability or versatility
If P2P fragmented file sharing systems are used for content distribution, then distribution scalability is improved, but security deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary authorization and integrity verification actions before content transfer. Uploaders must announce their available fragments to the tracker with authorization credentials, and downloaders must verify fragment integrity using cryptographic hashes before completing downloads. This preliminary validation prevents unauthorized distribution and ensures content integrity, addressing security concerns while maintaining scalable P2P distribution.
3Reliability
If content is fragmented for P2P distribution, then distribution reliability is improved through redundancy, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides content into multiple fragmented pieces that can be independently distributed across the P2P network. Each fragment is tracked separately with unique identifiers, allowing redundant storage across multiple uploaders and enabling flexible reassembly at the downloader. This segmentation approach improves reliability through redundancy while managing complexity through systematic fragment identification and tracking mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, software, and apparatus are described for facilitating the distribution and management of fragmented content. In one embodiment, a packager packages content into fragments and generates a manifest including policies and metadata associated with the content. A downloader obtains the manifest, and uses it to obtain the content from one or more uploaders. For example, a downloader might forward a search request to one or more trackers, which, in turn, are operable to locate one or more uploaders that can meet the request, subject to any relevant policy limitations. The uploaders forward fragments to the downloader, subject to any relevant policy. The downloader assembles the content from the fragments. The operations and interactions of the entities can be subject to policy limitations associated with the fragments, the content as a whole, or the like.