Re: [Blocks-development] Network simulator

[<lu...@et...>]

> *digs for a link*
> http://freenet.sourceforge.net/index.php?page=icsi-revised
> 
> Scroll about halfway down and look for Performance.
> 
> I'd like to do those kinds of tests for Blocks.

Here's another good one:

http://www.monkey.org/~dugsong/mirror/gnutella.html


A few notes, but no promises to do anything help other than poke holes
in people's ideas.  (One would think that I would figure out that 
working at startups is insane after my first one... *sigh*)


- Any system will be beaten by the most obvious fault.

For Napster it was the central server.  For Gnutella, it's the 
fact that every peer needs to see every message.  If there's a 
big hole staring you in the face, don't ignore it and hope it goes 
away.

- Don't assume that the client can restrict anything.  

Anything that the client permits _will_ be taken advantage of by some
user somewhere.  All security and protection of the system has to be
done at the protocol level.  I'd almost say that you should build 
a working web of trust system that just happens to be able to transfer 
files as well...

- Come up with the protocol first.

The protocol has to be rock-solid before you should even think about
making clients.  It should be taken apart, bit by bit, and looked for 
avenues of attack.   Once it gets out in the world, it's a lot harder
to change things.


(That said, I think the blocks idea is insanely cool and just wish I didn't
have a job to contend with so I could a lot of time on...)

-Luke