Peer Pressure

By Michael Foley

(04/26/01, 02:54:30 PM EDT)

Sun Microsystems unveiled Project JXTA as a prototypical next-generation network computing research project to enable easy access to peers and resources on the Web. Sun also launched www.jxta.org, an open source project in which developers can collaborate on the evolution of Project JXTA. The model of most Web-based computing is client-server. Peer-to-peer computing attempts to eliminate the need for a server so that computing systems can form ad hoc connections and networks to exchange data and services.

The purpose of the JXTA platform is to provide a decentralized Web environment that minimize points of failure and is not dependent on centralized services. Its goal is to enhance distributed computing through peer-to-peer topology and to develop basic building blocks and services that enable applications for peer groups.

JXTA is an open, generalized protocol that interoperates with any peer on the network, including PCs, servers, and other connected devices. In the JXTA model, peers are any devices that run some or all of the Project JXTA protocols. In order to participate in Project JXTA, the peer needs to be connected to some kind of network, such as IP, Bluetooth, or Havi. JXTA uses XML for data exchange and connecting distributed services in the peer-style network.

Bill Joy and Mike Clary oversaw the JXTA project at Sun to address peer-to-peer networking on the Web. The project has posted a specification draft and some prototype code on its Web site, www.jxta.org, under the Apache Software License; other developers are invited to participate. For more information, go to www.jxta.org.