SmartRetracker(tm) helps large Internet Service Providers get rid of redundant BitTorrent traffic, which accounts for 15 to 40 per cent of total bandwidth usage. By installing SmartRetracker(tm) which is totally transparent to BitTorrent users, ISP improves its bandwidth usage and, ultimately, financials.
2. What is BitTorrent
• BitTorrent is the most popular file sharing protocol in the world today.
• In 2013, BitTorrent contributed for 15 to 40 per cent of ISP’s uplink
bandwidth load, depending on the country.
• BitTorrent ignores ISP’s network topology.
• The only way to make BitTorrent more ISP-friendly is by using so called
retrackers. They tell BitTorrent software where to find local peers.
• A peer is a piece of software used to download files, a member of
BitTorrent file exchange network.
3. BitTorrent running without retracker
Our example subscriber’s pool of peers
“Downloading from anyone
available”. Network topology
isn’t taken into account.
Redundant use of bandwidth.
Peers from
other
networks
A subscriber
using
BitTorrent
A large, multi-regional
Internet Service Provider.
Example network branches
are shown in color.
Other
subscribers
using
BitTorrent
4. BitTorrent running with a local retracker*
Local peers
All other peers
“Preferred downloading from local
peers”.
Partial localization of
BitTorrent traffic.
A subscriber
using
BitTorrent
A large, multi-regional
Internet Service Provider.
Example network branches
are shown in color.
Peers from
other
networks
* This is a standard feature of BitTorrent protocol and infrastructure.
The software is free. Any ISP can install and use it. The effect is not so good, however.
5. BitTorrent running with SmartRetracker™
Local peers
Neighbouring peers
“Peers from the same network go
first, neighbors next, all others
only as a matter of last resort.
Optimal!
Others
A subscriber
using
BitTorrent
A large, multi-regional
Internet Service Provider.
Example network branches
are shown in color.
6. SmartRetracker™
• Knows the network topology of an ISP.
• Updates this knowledge daily using BGP.
• Upon request, gives out the optimal set of peers: first local, then
neighbors from the same ISP network. Only if that is not enough, some
external peers.
• Transparent to BitTorrent users, doesn’t require any action on their part
in order to operate. The effect is immediate.
• Designed and programmed to handle millions of users simultaneously.
7. SmartRetracker™
• One SmartRetracker™ serving the whole ISP network means one source of stats and
analytics, one object for monitoring.
• In case of SmartRetracker™ failure, the ISP network continues to operate.
Subscribers don’t notice anything at all.
• SmartRetracker™ supplies data for our TorrentCache™, enabling proactive caching
of torrents. “It’s there when they want it”
• When bundled with our TorrentDPI™, SmartRetracker™ is capable of completely
suppressing data exchange with “foreign” peers.
This reduces BitTorrent’s share in provider’s links to a minimum.
• When bundled with TorrentDPI™, it is also capable of taking down any illegitimate
torrents in order to enforce copyright.