Faster P2P By Matching Similiar Files?

Andreaskem writes "A Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist says transferring large data files, such as movies and music, over the Internet could be sped up significantly if peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing services were configured to share not only identical files, but also similar files. "SET speeds up data transfers by simultaneously downloading different chunks of a desired data file from multiple sources, rather than downloading an entire file from one slow source. Even then, downloads can be slow because these networks can't find enough sources to use all of a receiver's download bandwidth. That's why SET takes the additional step of identifying files that are similar to the desired file... No one knows the degree of similarity between data files stored in computers around the world, but analyses suggest the types of files most commonly shared are likely to contain a number of similar elements. Many music files, for instance, may differ only in the artist-and-title headers, but are otherwise 99 percent similar.""

Comments

Nickelback?

[onemorehour]

Many music files, for instance, may differ only in the artist-and-title headers, but are otherwise 99 percent similar.

Well, sure, if you're only looking at Nickelback songs.

grea tide a

[underwhelm]

I'm hoping this CATCHES ON and wet ransfer a11 sorts of information like this. It'11 be 1ike getting every thing in the form of a ransom n0te.

The music kids listen to

[Vollernurd]

So it's not me then? All new tunes DO sound the same?

Re:Snakeoil

[Anonymous Coward]

this statement in particular is ludicrous. You don't listen to pop music, do you?

Re:Jennifer Aniston != Monkey

[maxume]

Think of it as Jennifer Aniston vs a perfect Jennifer Aniston clone with a paper bag with a monkey face drawn on it over her head. Take off the bag(i.e., the differing headers), and you are good to go.

Could really work!

[Junior J. Junior III]

At their fundamental level, all files are essentially similar. They're encoded as 1's and 0's. So, wherever a file happens to call for a 1, you should be able to just pull that 1 from ANYWHERE. Even some random file on your local hard drive. And likewise for zeroes. All you need is a smart download algorithm to re-assemble the 1s and 0s in the correct order, and you're set.

Re:Snakeoil

[discord5]

It's not even 9AM and I have already filled my bullshit quota for the day. The concept itself is dubious, but this statement in particular is ludicrous.

May I suggest you don't open your e-mail and refrain from answering the phone for today? I usually fill up my bullshit quota with those two media alone. Slashdot is just the icing on the cake. ;)

I tried it

[Intron]

I tried downloading "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison, but I got "He's So Fine" by the Chiffons instead.