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

This could work for some files, but not for others

[Icarus1919]

What if you're downloading a backup copy of a movie that is subtitled, as opposed to a version that is not? Considering how much space the video data takes up, these files would be awfully similar. Sometimes it IS the little things that make all the difference in files. Version of software with bugfix as opposed to without? Only difference between the two files is the name (1.0 vs. 1.1) and the fixed lines of code. That sort of thing. Seems to me this may not be as useful as advertised.

99% Similar?

[swillden]

I knew all the music on the radio sounded the same, but I didn't think it was *that* lacking in originality.

Pop Music

[Archangel Michael]

"but are otherwise 99 percent similar.""

Sounds like all of Pop Music and most movies these days. Since the latest greatest movies are remakes and I, II, III, IV, V versions of the same theme.