Peer-to-Peer computing is defined as a network - of any size, even across the Internet - where individual computers connect and exchange files and information directly without a central server. The most popular P2P application has been the sharing of MP3 files by Web sites such as Napster.
Other services such as Gnutella have grown rapidly as well, with more than 40,000 computers connected through Gnutella at any one time. In addition, a new product - Groove - is one of the first P2P business applications that allows people in organisations to share files without the need for a client / server relationship.
The book provides hands-on instruction about some of the more popular P2P file sharing products (Scour, Gnutella, AIMaster, Freenet and dozens more).
