When most of us think about peer-to-peer (P2P) applications, we instinctively think of instant messaging applications, simple file sharing programs, and games. For the most part, we have been conditioned to default to the client/server model when considering distributed application designs and hardly give P2P models even passing thought, especially for business applications. The primary reason for this focus on the client/server model is simple: P2P application development used to be expensive and time-consuming.
Traditionally, challenges to P2P application development have included the need to develop proprietary protocols for message exchange, having to locate and connect with instances of an application that are hidden behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) or a firewall, and the need to support the inevitable infrastructure required to locate applications in a wide-area network (WAN). These challenges, while surmountable, have represented a substantial barrier, and as a result, many of us never consider the amazing collaborative functionality P2P applications provide.
These barriers will be dramatically reduced with Windows Vista™ and the accompanying .NET Framework 3.0 release. The combination of Windows Vista enhancements to Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP), People Near Me (PNM), and the introduction of PeerChannel in Windows® Communication Foundation have made P2P applications much more approachable. I personally expect increased activity in the P2P arena following the release of Windows Vista.
P2P development in Windows Vista is a huge topic, and no single article can cover it fully. So instead of attempting the impossible, I’ll introduce some of the different P2P technologies in Windows Vista, and provide background for your P2P development efforts.
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