Peer-to-Peer fildeling for mobiltelefoner

Abstract

Keywords: Peer-to-Peer, filesharing, cellular phones, JXTA, J2ME

This thesis shows that it is possible to realize a Peer-to-Peer filesharing application on limited devices like cellular phones. The Peer-to-Peer model is especially appropriate to the characteristics of wireless devices. We believe that there is a great potential in P2P filesharing applications for cellular phones. The application, MOBster , is built on top of Sun’s Peer-to-Peer platform called JXTA. JXTA for Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) is a JXTA version targeted to limited devices such as cellular phones. Using a relay server in a stationary network, even less capable devices running J2ME, can participate in a P2P network consisting of both mobile and desktop devices.

The application enables cellular phone users located anywhere in the world to share files through the JXTA network. Studies and tests shows that there are still too many constraints on cellular phones and in cellular environments to see any practical use of MOBster. However, the application has given us valuable information and revealed the main conditions that have to be fulfilled for such an application to become a success. Consequently we suggest a roadmap describing these conditions, and estimating when they can be met. We also suggested areas that need to be further explored for a Peer-to-Peer filesharing application on cellular phones to be a hit.