Download - SmartRetracker
SmartRetracker™Relieving a large IPS’s network of redundant BitTorrent traffic
What is BitTorrent
• BitTorrent is the most popular file sharing protocol in the world today.
• In 2013, BitTorrent contributed for 15 to 40 per cent of ISP’s uplink bandwidth load, depending on the country.
• BitTorrent ignores ISP’s network topology.
• The only way to make BitTorrent more ISP-friendly is by using so called retrackers. They tell BitTorrent software where to find local peers.
• A peer is a piece of software used to download files, a member of BitTorrent file exchange network.
BitTorrent running without retracker
Peers from other networks
Other subscribers
using BitTorrent
A subscriber using
BitTorrent
Our example subscriber’s pool of peers
“Downloading from anyone available”. Network topology isn’t taken into account. Redundant use of bandwidth.
A large, multi-regional Internet Service Provider.Example network branches are shown in color.
BitTorrent running with a local retracker*
Peers from other networks
“Preferred downloading from local peers”.Partial localization of BitTorrent traffic.
Local peers All other peers
A large, multi-regional Internet Service Provider.Example network branches are shown in color.
A subscriber using
BitTorrent
* This is a standard feature of BitTorrent protocol and infrastructure. The software is free. Any ISP can install and use it. The effect is not so good, however.
BitTorrent running with SmartRetracker™
“Peers from the same network go first, neighbors next, all others only as a matter of last resort.
Optimal!
Local peers Neighbouring peers Others
A subscriber using
BitTorrentA large, multi-regional Internet Service Provider.Example network branches are shown in color.
SmartRetracker™
• Knows the network topology of an ISP.
• Updates this knowledge daily using BGP.
• Upon request, gives out the optimal set of peers: first local, then neighbors from the same ISP network. Only if that is not enough, some external peers.
• Transparent to BitTorrent users, doesn’t require any action on their part in order to operate. The effect is immediate.
• Designed and programmed to handle millions of users simultaneously.
SmartRetracker™
• One SmartRetracker™ serving the whole ISP network means one source of stats and analytics, one object for monitoring.
• In case of SmartRetracker™ failure, the ISP network continues to operate. Subscribers don’t notice anything at all.
• SmartRetracker™ supplies data for our TorrentCache™, enabling proactive caching of torrents. “It’s there when they want it”
• When bundled with our TorrentDPI™, SmartRetracker™ is capable of completely suppressing data exchange with “foreign” peers. This reduces BitTorrent’s share in provider’s links to a minimum.
• When bundled with TorrentDPI™, it is also capable of taking down any illegitimate torrents in order to enforce copyright.
