What is Peer-to-Peer (P2P)?  

A definition for P2P isn't easy to pin down.

Common characteristics:

• Nodes are aware of other nodes.
  
  
• Peers create a virtual nework that overlays the physical network (despite firewalls, subnets, etc).
  
  
• Each node is capable of acting as either client or server or both.
  
  
• Peers form working communities of data and application logic - peer groups.
  
  
• Makes network interactions more symmetrical.

What P2P isn't:

• A strategy to eliminate servers.

• Centralization vs. Decentralization.