Multisource File Transfer Protocol
Encyclopedia
In computing
, Multisource File Transfer Protocol (MFTP) is designed for the purpose of file sharing
. It is still under development, and therefore may acquire more features or other improvements in addition to those discussed in this article. This is the communication protocol used by such clients as eMule and eDonkey and, in its extended implementation, by the Overnet
network.
resistance) built into the protocol, and every known mature client allows the user to tweak file and user upload priorities. It is also possible to share metadata about a given file with links on Web sites (such as: this file is good, this file is corrupted, this file is not what the name may indicate); in this case, the files are identified with their MD4
hash
numbers (which are consistent) rather than their filenames (which will often vary from one computer to the next).
The protocol is still under development, so additional features and other improvements are still possible. There are several unique forks of the protocol: eDonkey2000
implemented what it called "hoarding" of sources, eMule
uses a credit system, and xMule
has extended the credit system to facilitate in the transfer of rare files.
It has recently been announced that MFTP had been used successfully in Internet2
project, achieving excellent results in terms of speed and reliability when transferring or sharing files.
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
, Multisource File Transfer Protocol (MFTP) is designed for the purpose of file sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
. It is still under development, and therefore may acquire more features or other improvements in addition to those discussed in this article. This is the communication protocol used by such clients as eMule and eDonkey and, in its extended implementation, by the Overnet
Overnet
Overnet was a decentralized peer-to-peer computer network, usually used for sharing large files . Overnet implements the Kademlia algorithm. In late 2006, Overnet and all Overnet-owned resources were taken down as a result of legal actions from the RIAA and others...
network.
Features/Strengths
In addition to being able to search by filename, MFTP is able to uniquely identify files based on their contents, regardless of how they are named on each individual computer. It also has bandwidth management (a.k.a. leechLeeching
*In pre-scientific medicine, leeching was an alternative form of bloodletting in which "bad" blood would be removed via leeches instead of by bleeding...
resistance) built into the protocol, and every known mature client allows the user to tweak file and user upload priorities. It is also possible to share metadata about a given file with links on Web sites (such as: this file is good, this file is corrupted, this file is not what the name may indicate); in this case, the files are identified with their MD4
MD4
The MD4 Message-Digest Algorithm is a cryptographic hash function developed by Ronald Rivest in 1990. The digest length is 128 bits. The algorithm has influenced later designs, such as the MD5, SHA-1 and RIPEMD algorithms....
hash
Hash function
A hash function is any algorithm or subroutine that maps large data sets to smaller data sets, called keys. For example, a single integer can serve as an index to an array...
numbers (which are consistent) rather than their filenames (which will often vary from one computer to the next).
The protocol is still under development, so additional features and other improvements are still possible. There are several unique forks of the protocol: eDonkey2000
EDonkey2000
eDonkey2000 was a peer-to-peer file sharing application developed by US company MetaMachine, using the Multisource File Transfer Protocol...
implemented what it called "hoarding" of sources, eMule
EMule
eMule is a free peer-to-peer file sharing application for Microsoft Windows. Started in May 2002 as an alternative to eDonkey2000, eMule now connects to both the eDonkey network and the Kad network...
uses a credit system, and xMule
XMule
xMule — the X11 Mule — is a client for the eDonkey peer-to-peer file sharing network, originally intended to bring it to virtually all the major Unix platforms, with a particular emphasis on Linux...
has extended the credit system to facilitate in the transfer of rare files.
It has recently been announced that MFTP had been used successfully in Internet2
Internet2
Internet2 is an advanced not-for-profit US networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government....
project, achieving excellent results in terms of speed and reliability when transferring or sharing files.