I've been lucky with networks. I didn't set up a network until after I
switched to Linux. I worked through a book with examples for Linux
systems. It was cool to work through the examples without needing to
reboot every time I added or changed something.
Kenny
On Sat, Feb 07, 2004 at 09:57:48AM -0500, Janina Sajka wrote:
> But, Kenny, they also talk that very noisy protocol. Have you ever done
> a tcpdump where Windows networking was on the subnet? It's the
> Washington beltway at rush hour on a Friday afternoon.
>
> Kenny Hitt writes:
> > From: Kenny Hitt <kenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > Hi. It's good to see Windows is finally catching up with Unix of 20
> > years ago.
> >
> > Guess I need to remember this message the next time I jump on Windows
> > users who claim their OS is better than Linux
> > Kenny
> >
> > On Fri, Feb 06, 2004 at 08:18:31PM -0800, The Man With His Guide Dog At The Tent Store wrote:
> > > I know the following is talking about Windows, however, I can see us
> > > technical persons dealing with the following.
> > >
> > > PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKING WITH WINDOWS XP
> > >
> > > "As with most things in life, as time rolls on, old computer
> > > definitions take on new meanings. It used to be that a PTP
> > > (peer-to-peer) network descried a collection of desktop computers that
> > > simply shared resources with each other, such as printers and hard
> > > drives. Back then, there wasn't a centralized, dedicated server. Each
> > > peer was at once server and workstation, connected in a loose-knit
> > > fashion. The inclusion of native peer networking in Windows95 was one
> > > of the reasons networking in general became so popular."
> > >
> > > MORE THAN SHARING MUSIC
> > > "Microsoft's new incarnation of P2P networking expands the day-to-day
> > > role of shared printers and hard drives to also include a client's
> > > CPU, RAM, local system resources. The new platform is only available
> > > with Windows XP, but it provides you with the tools necessary to
> > > develop next-generation peer applications. Instead of client PC's
> > > simply simply processing their own data set, next-generation P2P
> > > networks share the processing power among peer members and take
> > > advantage of the massive underutilization of hard disks, RAM, and idle
> > > clock cycles on their client PC's..
> > >
> > > P2P networking makes use of this idle hardware by breaking an
> > > application or data into chunks and distributing it among these peer
> > > computers. In sharing the workload, it makes the network client PC's
> > > act as a massive parallel computer, allowing large amounts of data or
> > > processing time to take place without a sever hardware upgrade.
> > > Although not a Microsoft-coded application, an example of a P2P
> > > application is the SETI@home project (setiathome.ssl.Berkeley.edu).
> > > SETI@home distributes radio telescope data to end users where it is
> > > analyzed and transmitted back to the host.
> > >
> > > Like a traditional peer network, a P2P network differs from a
> > > client-server network because there is no centralized server. An
> > > example of a common client-server network is the Internet. When you
> > > surf the Internet, your PC's browser (client) requests data (the Web
> > > page) from a server. The data is then returned, processed, and
> > > displayed on your PC. Think of it as a "many-to-one" relationship.
> > > Many clients to one server.
> > >
> > > In a P2P network each computer in the peer group is connected to at
> > > least two other PC's in the group. And because each PC also acts as a
> > > server, you break away from the client-server method. This creates a
> > > "many-to-many" relationship, which is the heart of a P2P network."
> > >
> > > WHY P2P?
> > >
> > > "There are a number of reasons why the P2P networking concept is
> > > taking off. One is you already have an investment in hardware (your
> > > desktop computer), and you can maximize their return on investment by
> > > keeping their CPUs busy all of the time.
> > >
> > > Another reason is you can scale a network of peer computers easily
> > > with additional hardware. If your P2P application needs additional
> > > processing power, simply add another desktop (or 100) to the peer
> > > group. Also a group of peers is inherently more reliable than a single
> > > server. If a PC in the peer group fails, other PC's can still share
> > > data because of how interconnected
> > > A P2P network is. On the other hand, a single PC, such as a file or
> > > Web server, is a single point of failure than can bring the entire
> > > group down."
> > >
> > > WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO
> > > "Before you rush out and start setting up your own P2P network, you
> > > should understand what it is intended for and what it requires. You
> > > cannot take any old application and make it run in a P2P scenario. In
> > > order to take advantage of this new technology, applications will need
> > > to be written for it, which specifically use the Microsoft Windows XP
> > > Peer-to-Peer Software Development Kit (free:
> > > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/ptp
> > >
> > > REAL TIME COMMUNICATION
> > > "Not only can P2P network open up new computing possibilities, but it
> > > can also make existing applications better. For example, IM (instant
> > > messaging) is one of the most widely used Internet applications. No
> > > matter who is providing the service, it requires a centralized server
> > > to bring it all together. If IM was written using P2P networking, you
> > > would communicate directly with your chat partner and not rely on some
> > > other server to provide the connection. Online gaming is another
> > > application that can get a usability and performance upgrade and
> > > performance upgrade via P2P. Similar to IM, you can link up with other
> > > gamers directly, cutting out the middleman (server)."
> > >
> > > TWO HEADS (OR FIFTY) ARE BETTER THAN ONE
> > >
> > > "Online collaboration is another example of how P2P networks can make
> > > an existing technology even better. Using P2P software, you can share
> > > project workspaces and share files directly with other team members,
> > > bypassing the need for a special collaboration server. For example,
> > > Corel's Grafigo2 is a commercially available, pen-based business
> > > application written for Microsoft Windows XP Table PC Edition, which
> > > utilizes P2P collaboration. With Grafigo, you can create, annotate and
> > > work together across your P2P network, which ostensibly enhances
> > > productivity and user experience."
> > >
> > > EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION
> > >
> > > "P2P networks are an efficient way to distribute many different types
> > > of content to group members. The content can be exciting multi-media,
> > > such as a live streaming concert event, or something as mundane as a
> > > software update. Because the application running on each group member
> > > PC has intelligence built-in (and it knows who its local peers are),
> > > it can help distribute the load and reduce the need for
> > > stacked-and-packed centralized servers. In an audio broadcast, for
> > > example, each peer member can share a little portion of the file with
> > > other members, thereby greatly decreasing the overall amount of
> > > network bandwidth needed from the source."
> > >
> > > REQUIREMENTS FOR A P2P NETWORK
> > >
> > > "A base requirement for P2P networking is the installation and use of
> > > an updated version of IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6)
> > > Available from Microsoft Advanced Networking Pack for Windows XP:
> > >
> > > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p2p
> > >
> > > IPv6 has significant technical advantages over IPv4 (the most widely
> > > used version of TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/Internet
> > > protocol), including a larger IP address space.
> > >
> > > IPv4 has a 32-bit address space where IPv6 has a 128-bit address
> > > space. (This works out to roughly a theoretical maximum number of IPv6
> > > addresses of 340 trillion, trillion, trillion hosts). IPv6 also has
> > > the advantage of a much better QOS (quality of service), which is the
> > > ability to make sure network traffic gets a specific amount of
> > > bandwidth.
> > >
> > > To ease this expected migration to IPv6, Microsoft is providing
> > > Teredo, and IPv6 transition technology. Teredo allows Ipvy traffic to
> > > work across a router or firewall that uses NAT (network address
> > > translation). In a nutshell, Tgeredo encapsulates IPv6 packets inside
> > > a UDP (user datagram protocol) IPv4 packet and tunnels it between
> > > sites. When the packet makes it to the other side, the iPv6 packets
> > > are recovered and continue on their way. Microsoft sees Teredo as a
> > > short-term technology and expects it to be used less as a more native
> > > IPv6 network equipment makes it into the marketplace."
> > >
> > > P2P networking uses a new kind of host name lookup process called PNRP
> > > (peer name resolution protocol). Because it is based on IPv6, a normal
> > > IPv4 DNS (domain name system) does not work. PNRP does not need a
> > > central, root name server; Each client in the group has a partial list
> > > of other group members in its PNRP cache. If a member PC needs to
> > > locate another member, and it does not already have the address, it
> > > makes an inquiry to the group member closest to the desired member's
> > > address. That PC then either provides the correct address or checks
> > > with one of its neighbors. It continues the process until the member
> > > is located. All member addresses are numerical to eliminate any
> > > language or alphabet issues and to prevent domain "squatting."
> > >
> > > SETTING UP A P2P NETWORK
> > >
> > > "Putting together a P2P network is a bit like living in the Old West.
> > > It's a new frontier, and there are not a lot of tools to help you out.
> > > Before you can even begin to distribute your P2P application, you have
> > > to get IPv6 installed and working. First, you must configure normal
> > > IPv4 on your system and then install the Advanced Network pack for
> > > Windows XP. For the most part IVv6 does not need any real
> > > configuration. (As of this writing, there is no graphical interface to
> > > allow you to make changes or view information about your IPv6
> > > network.)
> > > One hardware configuration you must attend to is your firewall.
> > > In order for your P2P application to leave the confines of your
> > > Network, you must open up UDP port 3544 on your firewall.
> > > (Check your firewall's service settings for directions on how to
> > > Open this port.) This open port lets Teredo communicate
> > > Through the firewall and pass through the NAT. At this point, you
> > > Can begin connecting to shared resources across your network
> > > Using either Windows Explorer or Net Use commands. For the most
> > > Part, you will not see anything different from a network standpoint.
> > > If you want to dig in and check out specific IPv6 information, use
> > > The Netsh.exe tool. (For more information about using the Netsh
> > > Command prompt, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 242468.)
> > > Deploying your P2P application depends on how the program was
> > > Written. If the application requires any special authorization or
> > > ports,
> > > You need to make the appropriate settings and changes. With the
> > > New P2P SDK (software developers kit), you are free to invent and
> > > Enhance applications to meet your needs."
> > >
> > > P2P NETWORK SECURITY
> > >
> > > "Because a P2P network does not have a centralized server, there
> > > Is no single point for handling user authentication and authorization.
> > > For example, in a Windows2000 Server/Server2003 network scenario,
> > > Active directory provides the authentication services for the entire
> > > Domain. In a P2P network, however, each peer must provide its own
> > > Authentication. To handle security between modes, each member
> > > Creates self-signed digital certificates, some of which are formatted
> > > As X509 certificates. P2P networks let any peer act as a certificate
> > > Authority, allowing it to create and accept digital certificates. A
> > > peer
> > > Client creates the public and or private key pair and uses the private
> > > Key to sign the digital certificate. When a peer node receives the
> > > self-
> > > Signed certificate and the key pairs, it verifies the certificate's
> > > auth-
> > > enticity using its private and public keys, and, based on the key's
> > > Validity, creates a connection. It would seem like this use of self-
> > > Signed certificates is kind of like letting the Inmates run the
> > > asylum.
> > > Not true. P2P networking relies on an established chain of
> > > certificates
> > > Leading back to a public key that is known and trusted. By creating
> > > A chain back to a known, trusted source, it validates all other
> > > Certificates on down the line."
> > >
> > > FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
> > >
> > > "Don't expect to see a rash of new P2P network-enabled applications
> > > On the shelves of your local computer store anytime soon. The
> > > Concept is not new, but he implementation is, and as of now Microsoft
> > > Is blazing a trail on it's own. There will be some good head-to-head
> > > Competition among Microsoft and the other companies working on
> > > P2P improvements, but if history is any guide Microsoft will play by
> > > Its own rules and try to convince (or force) everyone to do it its
> > > way.
> > > The stumbling blocks to this are the need for IPv6 and its current
> > > Limited availability to Windows XP based desktops. You can expect to
> > > See this situation change in the coming months as more and more
> > > Developers show an interest. With the added attention, Microsoft
> > > Should start releasing updated Ipv6 protocol stacks for other versions
> > > Of Windows. Unless Microsoft can get someone to port its IPv6 stack
> > > To another operating system, like Linux, Web application developers
> > > May be slow to get onboard." (end extract.)
> > > Source--PC Today Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 2, February, 2004.
> > >
> > >
> > > Angus MacKinnon Crest Saying
> > > Latin - Audentes Fortuna Juvat
> > > English - Fortune Assists The Daring
> > > Web Page: http://members.shaw.ca/dabneyadfm
> > > Choroideremia Research Foundation Inc.
> > > http://www.choroideremia.org
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ---
> > > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> > > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> > > Version: 6.0.580 / Virus Database: 367 - Release Date: 06/02/2004
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > >
> > > Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx
> > > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx
> > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list
>
> --
>
> Janina Sajka
> Email: janina@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Phone: +1 (202) 408-8175
>
> Director, Technology Research and Development
> American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> http://www.afb.org
>
> Chair, Accessibility Work Group
> Free Standards Group
> http://a11y.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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