Resource allocation in Peer-to-Peer Networks: A Control-Theoretical Perspective

Abstract

P2P system rely on voluntary allocation of resources by its members due to absence of any central controlling authority. This resource allocation can be viewed as classical control problem where feedback is the amount of resource received, which controls the output i.e. the amount of resources shared back to the network by the node. The motivation behind the use of control system in resource allocation is to exploit already existing tools in control theory to improve the overall allocation process and thereby solving the problem of freeriding and whitewashing in the network. At the outset, we have derived the transfer function to model the P2P system. Subsequently, through the simulation results we have shown that transfer function was able to provide optimal value of resource sharing for the peers during the normal as well as high degree of overloading in the network. Thereafter we verified the accuracy of the transfer function derived by comparing its output with the simulated P2P network. To demonstrate how control system reduces free riding it has been shown through simulations how the control systems penalizes the nodes indulging in different levels of freeriding. Our proposed control system shows considerable gain over existing state of art algorithm. This improvement is achieved through PI action of controller. Since low reputation peers usually subvert reputation system by whitewashing. We propose and substantiate a technique modifying transfer function such that systems' sluggishness becomes adaptive in such a way that it encourage genuine new comers to enter network and discourages member peers to whitewash.