Simulating A File-Sharing P2P Network

Abstract

Assessing the performance of peer-to-peer algorithms is impossible without simulations since testing new algorithms by deploying them in an existing P2P network is prohibitively expensive. However, some P2P algorithms are sensitive to the network and traffic models that are used in the simulations. In order to produce realistic results, we therefore require simultations that resemble real-world P2P networks as closely as possible. We describe the Query Cycle Simulator, a simulator for file-sharing P2P networks. We link the Query-Cycle Simulator to measurements on existing P2P networks and discuss open issues in simulating these networks.