CONTROLLING PEER SOJOURN TIME IN FILE SHARING SYSTEMS

摘要

A method for controlling the average time a peer spends in a swarm of peers in a file sharing system includes first establishing an autonomous mode of operation in the swarm of peers. In the autonomous mode, peers communicate only with other peers in their swarm in order to gain access to pieces of a desired file. If the swarm size meets a threshold size, then the file sharing system switches to a universal mode. In a universal mode, peers from one swarm are permitted to exchange desired file pieces with other peers in other swarms. If the desired files pieces held by peers within a swarm meets a threshold number, then the file sharing system transitions back to the autonomous mode of operation.