Integration of Mobile Devices into Popular Peer-to-Peer Networks

Abstract

Peer-to-peer content-distribution networks are nowadays highly popular among users that have stationary computers with high-bandwidth Internet connections. Mobile devices (e.g. cell phones) that are connected to the Internet via cellular-radio networks, however, could not yet be launched into this field to a satisfactory extent. Although most mobile devices have the necessary hardware resources for joining peer- to-peer content-distribution networks, they are often not able to benefit from participation, due to limitations caused by mobility. In this work, mobile devices are identified as providers of advanced mobile features and services that are usually not available to computers in stationary networks. These mobile features and services can be exchanged for services in peer-to-peer networks, turning mobile devices into valuable trading partners. Partnership schemes are set up to define the way of a fair cooperation between mobile devices and other peers. A novel peer-to-peer architecture is suggested that applies partnership schemes to a well-established peer-to-peer content-distribution network and facilitates the integration of mobile devices.