As technology continues to become more advanced, we are seeing an increasing demand for various types of networks. As an enterprise, it is essential that you choose a networking system that boosts productivity, decreases your expenses, and increases your sales revenue potentials. Many enterprises face the decision of choosing between a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and a client-server network system.

Here is a go-to guide for understanding how P2P networks work and how Lambda, a service provider of P2P networking, can benefit your enterprise.

What is P2P Networking?

Contrary to many people’s beliefs, P2P is not a new form of technology. In fact, it is has been around since the advent of the Internet where it originated with email protocols. A P2P system is a network of computers that each shares an equal amount of responsibility in regards to processing data. They are unlike client-server network systems, where some devices share the responsibility of processing and serving data, while the other computers consume the data being processed by the servers.

P2P networks were initially deployed for business purposes back in the early 1980s. Before P2P networks were put into use, mini mainframes, like VS systems, were used to store files on a central hard drive, such as word processing files. In order to operate a computer, though, it had to be linked to the mainframe. As you can imagine, it was inefficient and created a huge mess of cords. Nowadays, our advancements in technology have allowed us to create PCs that liberate workers and allow them to work remotely with no need to be hardwired to the mainframe. Even better, workers can share files and link printers to one another thanks to P2P networks.

It is very common to see P2P network systems on local area networks, such as home networks, where each device can be synced with one another to share files. These systems can be created as wired or wireless networks where they use the same networking protocols as well as the same software to perform their functions. Schools and small businesses regularly take advantage of creating a P2P network system to share and access files among all users.

In homes, schools, and businesses where a broadband router is used, the network created is known as a hybrid P2P and client-server network. Lambda fully supports hybrid networks and has the resources to provide network layer addressability. Lambda also has multi-database cluster system capabilities, which provides unlimited encryption data storage, making it excellent for enterprises in need of a secure data storage solution.

A hybrid network environment is comprised of a router that acts as a centralised sharing tool for Internet connection, however, the local computers connected to the network manage the file sharing. In addition to files, printers and other resources can be shared among the devices that are connected to the network.

Enterprise Benefits of Using P2P Network Systems

When using Lambda for P2P networking, enterprises will enjoy a variety of benefits, especially in relation to boosting productivity and minimising downtime. A P2P network is extremely secure and hackers find them difficult to take down. Even if one device is shut down, the other devices continue to share their resources and communicate with one another, ensuring uptime is maximised. In order for the entire network to be shut down, each device would have to be taken down individually.

Another advantage of using P2P networks is they are extremely scalable. Any time you onboard a new employee and new devices, there is no need to perform central configurations to the primary server. And in regards to file sharing, the more devices you have connected, the faster files can be shared.

How does P2P networking optimise file sharing? Think of it like this. When a file is downloaded from a single source, it takes a long period of time to download. However, when a file is downloaded from multiple connected devices, tiny bits of the file are pulled from each device and downloaded simultaneously; this means file sharing can take place almost instantaneously with no need to wait for extended download times. As your business grows, your P2P network becomes more efficient and scaling the system counteracts traffic bottlenecking issues commonly seen on client-server networks.

It’s also with a P2P network that all users can easily see where the files are originating from as well as what percentage of each file is being stored locally. Furthermore, this form of networking enables you to control redundancy. While many enterprises prefer cloud storage, and although they do come with their advantages, P2P technologies increase convenience and eliminate the need to upload and download files to and from the cloud, which serves as a viable way to control redundancy and improve cost control.

The Takeaway

This go-to guide provides a helpful understanding of how P2P networks work and the numerous benefits your enterprise can reap from deploying a P2P system. It is pertinent to understand P2P networking becomes much more efficient and secure when deployed with the right technologies, such as Lambda Agent, which provides optimal memory data storage, metrics data uploading, and performance and security monitoring capabilities. Contact Lambda today to learn more about its networking and storage solutions.

This guest post was contributed by infrastructure software expert and Lambda founder, He Xiaoyang.

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