Bittorrent

BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing protocol designed for the efficient distribution of large amounts of data across the internet. Created by Bram Cohen in 2001, it differs from traditional client-server downloads by allowing users to download pieces of a file simultaneously from multiple different sources (other users) rather than a single central server.

: A user who has a complete copy of the file and is only uploading to others. BitTorrent

: A collection of peers (users) who are all simultaneously uploading and downloading the same file. BitTorrent

: To ensure a file remains available even if the original uploader (the "seeder") leaves, clients prioritize downloading the pieces of the file that are least common within the swarm. Terminology BitTorrent