An Eye-Opener About Peer-To-Peer Nodes
Peer-to-Peer nodes lay the fundamental stone for the functioning of blockchain technology – How does it influence and what is the role played by them? All-in-all information about the P2P network is revealed in this blog.
What Is A Network?
In simpler terms, a network is multiple systems interconnected with each other for the exchange and storing of data and information. Generally, networks are centrally controlled by a single entity or organization that acts as a centralized client-server. So, the other systems can access all the information from the central server.
But the serious disadvantage of this method is if one system is hacked all the information can be exploited. In order to overcome this, a new alteration came in giving rise to P2P networks.
What Are P2P Nodes?
The concept of P2P nodes is that it is a distributed system that has multiple participants and the information is constantly recorded and distributed among the participants (aka nodes or peers). This serves as one of the key aspects of blockchain technology accounting for its decentralized nature.
What Is Its Role In Blockchain?
The participants of P2P nodes can be anyone who can take part in validating and verifying the transactions in the blockchain network. Here all the activities are recorded in the public ledger. Any attempt to modify or change data in blocks will be stopped or the inaccurate data will be discarded.
Architecture Of P2P
P2P nodes function in a way that there is no division of activities among the network. All the participants of the node perform the same set of tasks serving both as the server and the client. Each node uses its own hard drive to store data and upload or download files from any other nodes. Since they are instilled with the capabilities of both receiving and transmitting data they work faster and with better efficiency.
Classification Of P2P Networks
P2P networks are broadly classified into three categories.
Unstructured network: Unstructured networks are random in nature, the participants of the nodes can anytime join or leave the network. It is suitable to perform a large load of activities. However, it requires a lot of CPU and memory to run properly to power the higher number of transactions that happen in the network.
Structured network: In this, the nodes have organized architecture. So that the search for the files is more efficient rather than being random. These types of networks use hash functions but they are partially centralized. This in turn means that it requires higher setup and maintenance costs.
Hybrid network: It is the combination of both P2P as well a client-server model. It inspires the quality of functioning efficiently with a better approach.
Perks Of P2P Architecture
P2P architecture undeniably bags in a lot of benefits when compared to the client-server model.
Resistant to attacks: DoS attacks incapacitate the network or machine by bringing a lot of traffic making the system shut down and inoperable to the intended users. Whereas, here the nodes are distributed and therefore there is no central point of failure making it resistant to DoS attacks.
Immutability of data: The bigger the network is branched out, the more difficult it is to alter the information across the nodes. Therefore, to carry out 51% attacks, the majority of nodes have to be controlled by a central authority but in P2P networks there is no scope for it.
Function independently: Incase of the centralized network, the central authority has control over the user information. For instance, the bank is the central authority that takes all the information of the user and can block transactions if they want to. But here there is no possibility of such happening as it is not controlled by any specific entity.
Concluding Thoughts, An Eye-Opener About Peer-To-Peer Nodes
The technology is racing fast towards organizing data more effectively while securing it strongly. P2P architecture is viewed as one such approach that is certain to stay over the years. The inculcation of attributes such as decentralization, immutability, and security empowers the blockchain’s functioning.
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