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Version 36.1 by Zenna Elfen on 2026/01/05 19:52
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5 = Peer-for-Peer Networks =
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7 P4P, short for Peer-4-Peer (which in turn is short for Peer-for-Peer) are a family of networks which build on principles of local-first, peer-2-peer, open-source, routing agnostic (offline-first) and mutual-aid principles. The above is a lot of terms which in and of themselves carry a lot of meaning, yet when combined they enable censorship-resistant, resilient and adaptive, sustainable and energy-efficient communication infrastructures.
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19 == Building Blocks of P4P Networks ==
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24 To fully assemble a P4P network one needs a few different building blocks, below is an overview of 15 of those building blocks. Lost in translation? Take a look at the [[terminology>>doc:P4P.Definitions.WebHome]].
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26 {{box title="==== Contents ====
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28 ====== ======"}}
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44 ==== ====
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46 ==== **1. Data Synchronization** ====
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48 > Synchronization answers **how updates flow between peers** and how they determine what data to exchange. This layer is about **diffing, reconciliation, order, causality tracking, and efficient exchange**, not persistence or user-facing collaboration semantics.
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50 * //How do peers detect differences and synchronize state?//
51 * Examples: Range-Based Set Reconciliation, RIBLT, Gossip-based sync, State-based vs op-based sync, Lamport/Vector/HLC clocks, Braid Protocol
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55 ==== **2. Collaborative Data Structures & Conflict Resolution** ====
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57 > This layer defines **how shared data evolves** when multiple peers edit concurrently. It focuses on **conflict-free merging, causality, and consistency of meaning**, not transport or storage. CRDTs ensure deterministic convergence, while event-sourced or stream-driven models maintain a history of all changes and derive consistent state from it.
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59 * //How do peers collaboratively change shared data and merge conflicts?//
60 * Examples: CRDTs (Yjs, Automerge), OT, Event Sourcing, Stream Processing, Version Vectors, Peritext
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64 ==== **3. Data Storage & Replication** ====
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66 > This layer focuses on **durability, consistency, and redundancy**. It handles write-paths, crash-resilience, and replication semantics across nodes. It is the “database/storage engine” layer where **data lives and survives over time**, independent of sync or merging logic.
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68 * //How is data persisted locally and replicated between peers?//
69 * Examples: SQLite, IndexedDB, LMDB, Hypercore (append-only logs), WALs, Merkle-DAGs (IPFS/IPLD), Blob/media storage
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73 ==== **4. Peer & Content Discovery** ====
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75 > Discovery occurs in two phases:
76 > 1. **Peer Discovery** → finding _any_ nodes
77 > 2. **Topic Discovery** → finding _relevant_ nodes or resources
78 > These mechanisms enable decentralized bootstrapping and interest-based overlays.
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80 * //How do peers find each other, and how do they discover content in the network?//
81 * Examples: DHTs (Kademlia, Pastry), mDNS, DNS-SD, Bluetooth scanning, QR bootstrapping, static peer lists, Interest-based routing, PubSub discovery (libp2p), Rendezvous protocols
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85 ==== **5. Identity & Trust** ====
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87 > Identity systems ensure reliable mapping between peers and cryptographic keys. They underpin authorization, federated trust, and secure overlays.
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89 * //How peers identify themselves, authenticate, and establish trustworthy relationships?//
90 * Examples: PKI, Distributed Identities (DIDs), Web-of-Trust, TOFU (SSH-style), Verifiable Credentials (VCs), Peer key fingerprints (libp2p PeerIDs), Key transparency logs
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94 ==== **6. Transport Layer** ====
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96 > This layer provides logical connections and flow control. QUIC and WebRTC bring modern congestion control and encryption defaults; Interpeer explores transport beyond IP assumptions.
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98 * //How do peers establish end-to-end byte streams and reliable delivery?//
99 * Examples: TCP, UDP, QUIC, SCTP, WebRTC DataChannels, Interpeer transport stack
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102
103 ==== **7. Underlying Transport (Physical/Link Layer)** ====
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105 > Highly relevant for **offline-first / edge networks**, device-to-device communication, and mesh networks and relates to the hardware which facilitates connections.
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107 * //How does data move across the medium?//
108 * Examples: Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct / Wi-Fi Aware (post-AWDL), Bluetooth Mesh, LoRa, NFC, Cellular, CSMA/CA, TDMA, FHSS
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112 ==== **8. Session & Connection Management** ====
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114 > Manages **connection lifecycle**, including authentication handshakes, reconnection after drops, and session continuation—especially important in lossy or mobile networks.
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116 * //How are connections initiated, authenticated, resumed, and kept alive?//
117 * Examples: TLS handshake semantics, Noise IK/XX patterns, session tokens, keep-alive heartbeats, reconnection strategies, session resumption tickets
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121 ==== **9. Content Addressing** ====
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123 > Content addressing ensures **immutability, verifiability, and deduplication**. Identity of data = cryptographic hash, enabling offline-first and tamper-evident systems.
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125 * //How is data addressed and verified by content, not location?//
126 * Examples: IPFS CIDs, BitTorrent infohashes, Git hashes, SHA-256 addressing, Named Data Networking (NDN)
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130 ==== **10. P2P Connectivity** ====
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132 > Connectivity ensures peers bypass NATs/firewalls to reach each other. 
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134 * //How can two peers connect directly across networks, firewalls, and NATs?//
135 * Examples: IPv6 direct, NAT Traversal, STUN, TURN, ICE (used in WebRTC), UDP hole punching, UPnP
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139 ==== **11. Session & Connection Management** ====
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141 > Manages **connection lifecycle**, including authentication handshakes, reconnection after drops, and session continuation.
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143 * //How are connections initiated, authenticated, resumed, and kept alive?//
144 * Examples: TLS handshake semantics, Noise IK/XX patterns, session tokens, keep-alive heartbeats, reconnection strategies, session resumption tickets
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148 ==== **12. Message Format & Serialization** ====
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150 > Serialization ensures **portable data representation**, forward-compatible schemas, and efficient messaging. IPLD provides content-addressed structuring for P2P graph data.
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152 * //How is data encoded, structured, and made interoperable between peers?//
153 * Examples: CBOR, Protocol Buffers, Cap’n Proto, JSON, ASN.1, IPLD schemas, Flatbuffers
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157 ==== **13. File / Blob Synchronization** ====
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159 > Bulk data syncing has **different trade-offs** than small collaborative state (chunking, deduplication, partial transfer, resume logic). Critical for media and archival P2P use-cases.
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161 //How are large objects transferred and deduplicated efficiently across peers?//
162 Examples: BitTorrent chunking, IPFS block-store, NDN segments, rsync-style delta sync, ZFS send-receive, streaming blob transfers
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165 ==== **14. Local Storage & Processing Primitives** ====
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167 > Provides durable on-device state and local computation (event sourcing, materialization, compaction). Enables offline-first writes and deterministic replay.
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169 * //How do nodes persist, index, and process data locally—without external servers?//
170 * Examples: RocksDB, LevelDB, SQLite, LMDB, local WALs/append-only logs, embedded stream processors (NATS Core JetStream mode, Actyx-like edge runtimes), Kafka-like libraries
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174 ==== **15. Crash Resilience & Abortability** ====
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176 > Ensures P2P apps don’t corrupt state on crashes. Tied to **local storage & stream-processing**, and critical in offline-first and distributed update pipelines. Abortability is the updated term for Atomicity as part of the ACID abbreviation.
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178 * //How do nodes recover and maintain correctness under failure?//
179 * Examples: WALs, idempotent ops, partial log replay, transactional journaling, write fences
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184 == Distributed Network Types ==
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187 [[Flowchart depicting distributed network variants, under development. Building on work from Z. Elfen, 2024: ~[~[https:~~~~/~~~~/doi.org/10.17613/naj7d-6g984~>~>https://doi.org/10.17613/naj7d-6g984~]~]>>image:P4P_Typology.png||alt="Flowchart depicting typologies of distributed networks, such as Friend-2-Friend, Grassroots Networks, Federated Networks, Local-First, P2P and P4P Networks" data-xwiki-image-style-alignment="center" height="649" width="639"]]
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189 == ==
190
191 == Overview of P4P Networks ==
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193 {{include reference="Projects.WebHome"/}}
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