JP3806072B2 - P2P network traffic control method and apparatus, program and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a traffic control method, apparatus, and program for a P2P network used in a P2P (peer-to-peer) type network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Unlike conventional client / server (C / S) type networks, P2P type networks that have recently attracted attention share computer resources and services directly between systems without relying on specific servers.
For example, “Napster” has been conventionally known as a program constituting a P2P type network for exchanging files such as music between terminals. However, in a network such as “Napster”, a server having a file search function is connected, and each terminal operates under the control of the server. Therefore, in this network, traffic is centrally controlled by the server.
[0003]
That is, a network such as “Napster” is not a pure P2P network, and it is essential to provide a management server.
On the other hand, a network using software called “Gnutella” is known as a typical example of a pure P2P network that does not require a management server. In a network such as “Gnutella”, each terminal is called a servant and has a function such as a file search.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In a P2P network such as “Gnutella”, there is no server that manages the entire network, and thus traffic control cannot be performed intensively.
For this reason, traffic may be concentrated on a specific terminal or the like, resulting in congestion on the network, and efficient file transfer may not be possible.
[0005]
The present invention relates to a traffic control method, apparatus, and program for a P2P network capable of suppressing the concentration of traffic without installing a management server in a P2P network in which traffic by an application program such as “Gnutella” flows. The purpose is to provide.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Claim 1 is a traffic control method for a P2P network for controlling traffic for a P2P application in a P2P network in which a plurality of terminals are connected and does not have a server for centrally managing the entire traffic. However, the hit status of the search result of the own terminal in response to a file search request from another terminal is monitored, and each terminal controls traffic in an autonomous and distributed manner according to the hit status .
[0007]
In a P2P network such as “Gnutella”, for example, the first terminal requests the second terminal to search for a file required by the first terminal via the network. If the target file exists in the second terminal, the search is hit. In that case, the second terminal transmits the target file in response to the download request from the first terminal.
[0008]
Therefore, for example, when the search hit rate on the second terminal increases, the frequency of file transfer increases, and the traffic passing through the second terminal increases.
According to the first aspect, each terminal controls traffic in an autonomous and distributed manner according to the hit state of the search result, so that it is possible to suppress the concentration of traffic at a certain terminal or a specific position on the network. Therefore, there is no need to provide a server for controlling traffic.
[0013]
Particularly, according to claim 1 , each terminal holds a correspondence relationship between another terminal that has downloaded a file from its own terminal and a file acquired by the terminal as history information, and the number of file hits at each terminal increases more than a predetermined number. In this case, referring to the history information, the other terminal holding the same corresponding file is determined as a cooperation terminal, and at least a part of the file download request has already acquired the file of the own terminal. A feature is that a file is transmitted using a linked terminal.
[0014]
In the first aspect , history information is held in each terminal. By referring to the history information, it is possible to specify another terminal (cooperative terminal) that has already downloaded a specific file from the terminal itself.
Therefore, when the first terminal requests to download a file with a high hit rate, the file may be transmitted from the cooperation terminal that has already downloaded the same file to the first terminal instead of the second terminal. it can.
[0015]
That is, when the second terminal and the cooperation terminal cooperate in a cooperative manner, a part of the traffic passing through the second terminal can be distributed to the route passing through the cooperation terminal.
Claim 2 is a traffic control device for a P2P network for controlling traffic for a P2P application in a P2P network to which a plurality of terminals are connected and which does not have a server for centrally managing the entire traffic. The hit status monitoring means for monitoring the hit status of the search result of the own terminal in response to a file search request from another terminal, and each terminal autonomously decentralized traffic according to the hit status detected by the hit status monitoring means And traffic control means for controlling .
[0018]
In particular, claim 2 provides history information holding means for holding, as history information, a correspondence relationship between another terminal that has downloaded a file from its own terminal and the file acquired by each terminal, and the number of file hits at each terminal. When the number of nodes increases to a predetermined value or more, there is further provided cooperative terminal determining means for determining, as a cooperative terminal, another terminal that holds the corresponding corresponding file with reference to the history information, and the traffic control means includes at least one traffic control means. In response to the file download request of the unit, the file is transmitted using the cooperation terminal that has already acquired the file of the terminal itself.
[0019]
In claim 2 , the same control as in claim 1 can be realized.
[0020]
Claim 3 is a program executable by a computer on each terminal for controlling traffic to a P2P application in a P2P network in which a plurality of terminals are connected and does not have a server that centrally manages the entire traffic. Each terminal is autonomous in accordance with the hit status monitoring procedure for monitoring the hit status of the search result of the own terminal in response to a file search request from another terminal and the hit status detected by the hit status monitoring means. A traffic control procedure for controlling traffic in a distributed manner is provided .
[0023]
In particular, claim 3 provides each terminal with a history information holding procedure for holding, as history information, the correspondence between another terminal that has downloaded a file from its own terminal and the file acquired by the terminal, and the number of file hits at each terminal. Is further provided with a cooperative terminal determination procedure for determining, as a cooperative terminal, another terminal that holds the corresponding same file with reference to the history information, and in the traffic control procedure, at least one In response to the file download request of the unit, the file is transmitted using the cooperation terminal that has already acquired the file of the terminal itself.
[0024]
By executing the program of claim 3 on a computer on each terminal, control similar to that of claim 1 is realized.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which the program of the third aspect is recorded.
[0025]
By executing the program read from the recording medium of claim 4 by a computer on each terminal, control similar to that of claim 1 is realized.
[0026]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(First embodiment)
One embodiment of a P2P network traffic control method, program, and recording medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 7. FIG. This form corresponds to claim 1, claim 2, claim 3 and claim 4 .
[0027]
FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the terminal of this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the entire system.
In this embodiment, the hit status monitoring means according to claim 2 corresponds to the search hit status monitoring unit 12, a traffic control unit according to claim 2 corresponds to the file upload processing unit 15 and the linkage download request processing unit 16. Further, as the number of hits manager and file upload unit, high hit file retrieval unit 14 and the file upload processing section 15 corresponds. Further, as the information distribution means, the support center 100 corresponds.
[0028]
In this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of terminals (P2P terminals 50) are connected to each other via a network (for example, the Internet), each terminal is equipped with a “Guntella” type application program, and the P2P network is The case where it is formed is assumed. In this example, it is assumed that the cache server does not exist on the network.
[0029]
In the support center 100 shown in FIG. 7, a control program is created and traffic information is totaled. Each P2P terminal 50 connected to the P2P network can download a control program from the server of the support center 100, and can browse traffic information such as search hit status and download status in the P2P network. The support center 100 can be omitted.
[0030]
In this form, each terminal has a search processing unit 11, a search hit status monitoring unit 12, a threshold excess monitoring unit 13, a high hit file search unit 14, a file upload processing unit 15, and a linked download request processing unit 16 as shown in FIG. , A search result DB (database) 17 and a communication interface 18 are provided.
Each of these components can be configured using dedicated hardware, or can be configured with a program that realizes each function and a control computer that executes the program.
[0031]
The search processing unit 11 searches for a target file that meets a search request from another terminal from among a large number of files held on the terminal. As a result of this search, the number of hits indicating whether or not a matching file has been found is written and held in the search result DB 17 for each file.
The search hit status monitoring unit 12 monitors the number of search hits h per unit time for all search requests in the search processing unit 11.
[0032]
The threshold excess monitoring unit 13 compares the number of search hits h detected by the search hit status monitoring unit 12 with a predetermined threshold s. If the number of search hits h exceeds the threshold s as a result of the comparison, the threshold excess monitoring unit 13 gives a predetermined instruction to the high hit file search unit 14.
Upon receiving an instruction from the threshold value excess monitoring unit 13, the high hit file search unit 14 refers to the contents of the search result DB 17 and checks the number of search hits (total number of hits or hits per unit time) of each file. Select one or more files with a large number of search hits.
[0033]
The file upload processing unit 15 transfers (uploads) a file with a large number of search hits selected by the high hit file search unit 14 to another terminal. The other terminals of the transfer destination are determined as follows.
N other terminals are determined in advance as transfer destination candidates, and the information is stored on the terminal itself. Then, m terminals are selected from the n other terminals (n ≧ m) and set as transfer destinations.
[0034]
As a method for selecting m terminals from n terminals, for example, a known round robin or random selection technique may be used.
The linked download request processing unit 16 processes a file download request from the file search request source for a specific file required by another terminal (search request issuing terminal) that is the file search request source.
[0035]
That is, the target file is transferred to the requesting terminal. However, the file transfer source is not necessarily its own terminal. In other words, since the target file exists also on another terminal (cooperation terminal) that the file upload processing unit 15 has uploaded in advance, the self terminal cooperates and cooperates with an available cooperation terminal to make a file download request. Process. As a result, the traffic generated along with the file download can be distributed to other linked terminals.
[0036]
The outline of the operation of the terminal shown in FIG. 2 (operation in the terminal itself) is as shown in FIG.
In step S11 of FIG. 1, the search hit status in the own terminal is monitored under the control of the search hit status monitoring unit 12.
In step S12, the number of search hits h per unit time is compared with a predetermined threshold s under the control of the threshold excess monitoring unit 13. If (h> s), the process proceeds to the next step S13.
[0037]
In step S13, a file with a large number of search hits is selected under the control of the high hit file search unit 14, and the selected file is uploaded (transferred) to another terminal under the control of the file upload processing unit 15.
In step S14, under the control of the linked download request processing unit 16, a download request from another terminal is processed, and the target file is sent to the request source in cooperation with the other linked terminal that uploaded the file requested to be downloaded. Transfer to the terminal.
[0038]
For example, when one cooperation terminal can be used in addition to the self terminal, after uploading the corresponding file to the cooperation terminal, the self terminal and the cooperation terminal each issue (f / 2) search requests. Responsible for processing download requests from terminals (f: number of search hits for target file). Thereby, the two of the own terminal and the cooperation terminal can cooperate to perform the distributed processing of the download request.
[0039]
(Second Embodiment)
A traffic control method and apparatus for a P2P network and an application example of a program and a recording medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of this type of terminal. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the terminal of this embodiment. This form is a modification of the first embodiment. In FIG. 4, elements corresponding to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The following description is omitted for the same parts as those of the first embodiment.
[0040]
In this embodiment, as the file upload means and the traffic control unit, respectively the file upload processing unit 21 and the linkage download request processing unit 22 corresponds.
In this embodiment, it is assumed that n cache servers are distributed in advance at a certain location on the network. Therefore, in this embodiment, a cache server is also used. The cache server has a function for transferring files on behalf of the terminal, but does not include a function for controlling the network.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 4, each terminal in this form includes a search processing unit 11, a search hit status monitoring unit 12, a threshold excess monitoring unit 13, a high hit file search unit 14, a search result DB 17, a communication interface 18, and a file upload processing unit. 21 and a linked download request processing unit 22.
The file upload processing unit 21 transfers (uploads) a file with a large number of search hits selected by the high hit file search unit 14 to m cache servers when (h> s) as described above. ) The transfer destination cache server is determined as follows.
[0042]
Information such as addresses of n cache servers is stored in advance on the terminal itself. Then, m terminals are selected from the n cache servers (n ≧ m) as transfer destinations.
As for the method of selecting m cache servers from n cache servers, for example, known round robin, random selection, low load server selection (information exchange with each cache server is required), etc. Technology can be used.
[0043]
The linked download request processing unit 22 processes a file download request from the file search request source for a specific file required by another terminal that is the file search request source.
That is, the target file is transferred to the requesting terminal. However, the file transfer source is not necessarily its own terminal. That is, since the target file exists also on a specific cache server that has been uploaded in advance by the file upload processing unit 21, the terminal itself processes a file download request in cooperation with and in cooperation with an available cache server. As a result, the traffic generated along with the file download can be distributed to the cache servers.
[0044]
The outline of the operation of the terminal shown in FIG. 4 (operation in the own terminal) is as shown in FIG.
In step S21 of FIG. 3, the search hit status in the own terminal is monitored under the control of the search hit status monitoring unit 12.
In step S22, the number of search hits h per unit time is compared with a predetermined threshold s under the control of the threshold excess monitoring unit 13. If (h> s), the process proceeds to the next step S23.
[0045]
In step S23, a file with a large number of search hits is selected under the control of the high hit file search unit 14, and the selected file is uploaded (transferred) to m cache servers under the control of the file upload processing unit 21.
In step S24, under the control of the linked download request processing unit 22, a download request from another terminal is processed, and the target file is transferred to the requesting terminal in cooperation with the cache server that uploaded the file requested to be downloaded. Forward.
[0046]
(Third embodiment)
Another embodiment of the traffic control method and apparatus, program, and recording medium of the P2P network of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. This form, according to claim 1, corresponding to claims 2 and 3.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of this type of terminal. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the terminal of this embodiment. This form is a modification of the first embodiment. In FIG. 6, elements corresponding to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The following description is omitted for the same parts as those of the first embodiment.
[0047]
In this embodiment, the history information holding means, the linked terminal determining means, and the traffic control means of claim 2 correspond to the download history DB 33, the downloaded terminal search section 31, and the linked download request processing section 34, respectively.
[0048]
In the first embodiment, the file is uploaded to the cooperation terminal determined by the own terminal. However, in this embodiment, other files that have already acquired the target file by managing the download history can be linked. Know your device. Therefore, there is no need to upload a file to the cooperation terminal.
As shown in FIG. 6, each terminal in this form includes a search processing unit 11, a search hit status monitoring unit 12, a threshold excess monitoring unit 13, a high hit file search unit 14, a search result DB 17, a communication interface 18, and a downloaded terminal. A search unit 31, an inquiry processing unit 32, a download history DB 33, and a linked download request processing unit 34 are provided.
[0049]
The download history DB 33 monitors the operation of the linked download request processing unit 34 and stores a file download history in response to a request from another terminal. That is, the download history DB 33 holds information specifying a file, information specifying a terminal that downloaded the file, date and time, and the like as a history.
When the over-threshold monitoring unit 13 detects the state (h> s), the downloaded terminal search unit 31 uses the high hit file search unit 14 to detect a file having a large number of search hits and download history DB 33. The other file (cooperation candidate terminal) with which the corresponding file has already been downloaded is identified.
[0050]
The inquiry processing unit 32 inquires of each cooperation candidate terminal specified by the downloaded terminal search unit 31 whether the cooperation operation is possible. And the terminal which permitted cooperation in response to this inquiry is determined as the cooperation terminal.
The cooperative download request processing unit 34 processes a file download request from another terminal in cooperation with the cooperative terminal determined by the inquiry processing unit 32. That is, any one of the own terminal and the plurality of cooperation terminals transfers the target file to the request source. Thereby, the traffic generated with the file download is distributed.
[0051]
The outline of the operation of the terminal shown in FIG. 6 (operation in the terminal itself) is as shown in FIG.
In step S31 of FIG. 5, the search hit status in the own terminal is monitored under the control of the search hit status monitoring unit 12. In addition, the linked download request processing unit 34 monitors download requests from other terminals.
[0052]
In step S32, the number of search hits h per unit time is compared with a predetermined threshold s under the control of the threshold excess monitoring unit 13. If (h> s), the process proceeds to the next step S33.
In step S33, a file with a large number of search hits is selected under the control of the high hit file search unit 14, and the contents of the download history DB 33 are referred to for the selected file, and the corresponding file is already acquired by downloading. Check whether there is a terminal (cooperation candidate terminal).
[0053]
If there is a cooperation candidate terminal, the process proceeds to step S34, and each of the cooperation candidate terminals is inquired about whether or not download request processing can be assigned. If there are n cooperation candidate terminals, each cooperation candidate terminal is inquired whether (h / (n + 1)) requests can be allocated.
The terminal that receives the inquiry operates to accept (acknowledge) the assignment of the download request process in the initial state. However, if the terminal cannot be accepted for some reason, a rejection notice is returned in response to the inquiry.
[0054]
If the inquiry is rejected, the processing for which the terminal is scheduled to be allocated is processed by the own terminal.
If the terminal approves the inquiry, the process proceeds from step S34 to step S37, and the approved terminal, that is, the cooperation terminal cooperates with the own terminal, and the file from the other terminal is controlled by the cooperation download request processing unit 34. Handle download requests.
[0055]
In step S35, the download history is added to the download history DB 33. In addition, a normal download process is performed without linking with another terminal in response to a file download request.
In step S36, the history is added to the download history DB 33 including the history when downloaded in cooperation with the cooperation terminal.
[0056]
In step S38, the threshold s and the number of assignments to each terminal are reviewed in consideration of the results of the processing so far.
In this example, the cooperation candidate terminal is specified based on the download history held by each terminal, but it is also possible to specify the cooperation candidate terminal using the history of information indicating that the search has been hit. .
[0057]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, traffic can be distributed by controlling each terminal without using a server that centrally manages the entire network. Therefore, it becomes possible to control the traffic even for the Gnutella type P2P application.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a terminal according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the terminal according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the terminal according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of a terminal according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the terminal according to the third embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of a terminal according to a third embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the entire system.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Search process part 12 Search hit condition monitoring part 13 Threshold excess monitoring part 14 High hit file search part 15 File upload process part 16 Cooperation download request process part 17 Search result DB
18 Communication Interface 21 File Upload Processing Unit 22 Cooperation Download Request Processing Unit 31 Downloaded Terminal Search Unit 32 Inquiry Processing Unit 33 Download History DB
34 Cooperation Download Request Processing Unit 50 P2P Terminal 100 Support Center

Claims (4)

A P2P network traffic control method for controlling traffic to a P2P application in a P2P network in which a plurality of terminals are connected and does not have a server that centrally manages the entire traffic,
Each terminal monitors the hit status of the search result of its own terminal in response to a file search request from another terminal, and each terminal controls traffic in an autonomous and distributed manner according to the hit status and downloads a file from its own terminal Keep the correspondence between the other devices you have acquired and the files they have acquired as historical information,
When the number of file hits in each terminal increases more than a predetermined value, the other terminal holding the same corresponding file with reference to the history information is determined as a cooperation terminal,
For at least some file download requests, send the file using the cooperation terminal that has already acquired the file of its own terminal
A traffic control method for a P2P network. A P2P network traffic control apparatus for controlling traffic to a P2P application in a P2P network in which a plurality of terminals are connected and does not have a server that centrally manages the entire traffic.
Hit status monitoring means for monitoring the hit status of the search result of its own terminal in response to a file search request from another terminal at each terminal;
Traffic control means for each terminal to control traffic in an autonomous and distributed manner according to the hit situation detected by the hit situation monitoring means ;
In each terminal, history information holding means for holding, as history information, a correspondence relationship between another terminal that has downloaded a file from its own terminal and the file acquired by the terminal,
Cooperation terminal determination means for determining, as a cooperation terminal, another terminal that holds the same corresponding file with reference to the history information when the number of file hits at each terminal increases to a predetermined value or more.
The traffic control means transmits a file using the cooperation terminal that has already acquired the file of its own terminal in response to at least a part of the file download request.
A traffic control apparatus for a P2P network characterized by the above. A program executable by a computer on each terminal for controlling traffic for a P2P application in a P2P network in which a plurality of terminals are connected and does not have a server that centrally manages the entire traffic,
Hit status monitoring procedure for monitoring the hit status of the search result of the own terminal in response to a file search request from another terminal at each terminal;
A traffic control procedure for each terminal to autonomously control traffic according to the hit situation detected by the hit situation monitoring means ;
In each terminal, a history information holding procedure for holding, as history information, a correspondence relationship between another terminal that has downloaded a file from its own terminal and the file acquired by the terminal,
A cooperative terminal determination procedure for determining, as a cooperative terminal, another terminal that holds the same corresponding file with reference to the history information when the number of file hits in each terminal increases more than a predetermined value;
In the traffic control procedure, for at least a part of the file download request, the file is transmitted using the cooperation terminal that has already acquired the file of the own terminal.
A program characterized by that. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 3 is recorded.

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