MS Avalanche is currently "under development" and appears to clone the functions of the Bit Torrent program.
Link to MS Avalanche siteAvalanche: Improving P2P File Swarming through Network Coding
Avalanche provides a cost effective, internet scalable and very fast file distribution solution (e.g. for TV on-demand, patches, software distribution). By leveraging desktop PCs, Avalanche aids in the distribution process, relieving congested servers and network links from most of the traffic.
Existing P2P file delivery systems use swarming techniques to simultaneously obtain different pieces of a file from multiple nodes. One problem of such systems is that as the number of receivers increases it becomes harder to do optimal scheduling of pieces to nodes. One possible solution is to use a heuristic that prioritizes exchanges of "locally rarest" pieces. But such local-rarest policies often fail to identify the "globally rarest" piece since peers have a limited view of the network. The end result is slower downloads, stalled transfers, etc.
Link to blog of Bit Torrents creator and his commentary on MS-AvalancheAvalanche
A bunch of people have been pestering me about Avalanche recently, so I'll comment on it.
First of all, I'd like to clarify that Avalanche is vaporware. It isn't a product which you can use or test with, it's a bunch of proposed algorithms. There isn't even a fleshed out network protocol. The experiment's they've done are simulations.
Link to Dvorak's article on Microsoft "attempting to discredit Bit Torrent"One of the most fascinating and popular protocols and P2P file-distribution systems on the Internet is BitTorrent, first released in 2001. Continuous improvements led to its emergence as a force in 2003; by early 2005 it was perhaps the dominant protocol on the Net, second only to TCP/IP itself. The problem is that no big company controls it, and Microsoft, asleep at the wheel, let it slip too long to do much about it. So now I suspect Microsoft is playing dirty to discredit the thing. There is no other explanation for the recent series of coincidental stories and events.
I've never used Bit Torrent myself and only know what I have read about it.
Dvorak has over recent years (in my opinion) gone from writing articles of interest based on facts and reasonable speculation to sensationalism designed only to cause web page hits. I don't endorse his views on this topic. I provided the link to his article as it was through it that I found the other links.
I think that whether Microsoft intended to or not they have by announcing their work on a "Bit Torrent clone" essentially endorsed Bit Torrent as a valid and useful program of significant market value. Microsot
never goes after anything unless it is either a threat or a potential money maker (or saver). Torrent capability might well save MS a fortune in bandwidth fees if used for hosting service packs. The same applies to many other software business (gaming companies for patches and "bonus materials" for example).
Topic: MS Avalanche (Read 1554 times)