The Peer-to-Peer Trace Archive

Providing traces collected from deployed P2P systems

Motivation and Goals

Real-world measurements play a key role in studying the characteristics and improving the design of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) systems. Although many P2P measurements have been carried out in the last decade, few traces are publicly accessible, and the available traces are available online in different formats. This situation hampers researchers in exchanging, studying, and reusing existing traces. As a result, many P2P studies have been based on unrealistic assumptions about the characteristics of P2P systems, and many P2P algorithms and methods still lack a realistic evaluation.

To address this situation, we build the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Trace Archive, which is designed as a virtual meeting place for the community to exchange P2P traces. To achieve this goal, we adopt a unified trace format to represent all traces included in the Archive, and we also provide tools for trace conversion and analysis.

Approach

  • In order to facilitate the trace exchange and reuse, we design a unified trace format to represent all traces in the Peer-to-Peer Trace Archive. The data format is extensible for new traces, and it also anonymizes original traces. The data format is described on the Trace Format page.
  • We will make tools available online for easy trace parsing and conversion from different trace formats. Generic tools for analysis of the data in the unified trace format will also be provided.

Timeline

  • April/2010 - Peer-to-Peer Trace Archive website online, with 21 P2P traces; Please refer to our technical report [PDF] [BibTeX] for analysis of these traces;

Contributing

If you would like to contribute your P2P traces to the Peer-to-Peer Trace Archive, please send emails to the P2PTA Team. We will help you gather the traces, anonimize, and process the traces. We will publish with your consent the traces, and we will give credit where its due.

Team

 

 

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