Operator-driven peer-to-peer service platform for mobile environments

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology is regarded as being disruptive for traditional fixed and mobile operators. However, it can also be considered as an opportunity for new ways of service provisioning. First, P2P concepts allow a more efficient usage of existing platform resources through relying on existing infrastructure including even the customer equipment and thus provide a cheap service platform. Second, P2P technology brings new business opportunities through extending the service portfolio to user provided services and to ubiquitous environments. Along these lines, we outline the requirements and building blocks for a P2P based service platform as a new overlay infrastructure for mobile environments. With mobile environments we largely refer to heterogeneous systems that provide the platforms for the peers including low capability, low data rate wireless devices as well as high capability, fixed-network equipment. Thus, in comparison to conventional fixed-network based P2P systems, in which homogeneous nodes are assumed, with P2P in mobile environments, we refer to the heterogeneity of networks, devices, and users that constitute the challenges. A main building block for our service platform is a P2P lookup system that addresses the requirements of heterogeneous environments in terms of varying resources and high churn with a hierarchical P2P system. This P2P system consists of a DHT-based core overlay network interconnecting high capability super peers that interface to low resource leaf peers. In addition to this P2P lookup component, the building blocks of the service platform address reliability, scalability, controllability, bootstrapping as core building blocks, and further application-specific components such as reputation management, complex query handling.