docs/src/p2p_concepts.md
2023-06-05 17:36:35 -07:00

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P2P Concepts

Overview of the various concepts that p2p systems have to handle or address with links to the sections where we address them!

  • Definitions - Terms used within the protocol spec
  • Protocol - The protocol spec itself, which encompasses the following sections and describes how they relate to one another.
  • Identity - How each peer in the swarm is identified (or not)
  • Discovery - How peers are discovered and connected to in the swarm, or, how an identity is dereferenced into some network entity.
  • Data Structures - What and how data is represented within the protocol
  • Querying - How data, or pieces of data are requested from hosting peers
  • Evolvability - How the protocol is intended to accommodate changes, plugins, etc.

Additionally, p2p-ld considers these additional properties that are not universal to p2p protocols:

  • Vocabulary - The linked data vocabulary that is used within the protocol
  • Encryption - How individual messages can be encrypted and decrypted by peers
  • Federation - How peers can form supra-peer clusters for swarm robustness, social organization, and governance
  • Backwards Compatibility - How the protocol integrates with existing protocols and technologies.