“ P4P: A set of business practices and integrated network topology awareness models designed to optimize ISP network resources and enable P2P based content payload acceleration. ” -- DCIA P4PWG

Information Source

The documents here are mirrored from DCIA P4PWG.

P4PWG Mission

To work jointly and cooperatively with leading Internet service providers (ISPs), peer-to-peer (P2P) software distributors, and technology researchers to ascertain appropriate and voluntary best practices for the use of P4P mechanisms to accelerate distribution of content and optimize utilization of ISP network resources in order to provide the best possible performance to end-user customers.

P4PWG Objectives

1. Provide ISPs with the ability to optimize utilization of network resources while enhancing service levels for P2P traffic
2. Provide P2P software distributors with the ability to accelerate content delivery while enhancing efficient usage of ISP bandwidth
3. Provide researchers who are developing P4P mechanisms with the support to advance and the ability to publish their work
4. Determine, validate, and encourage the adoption of methods for ISPs and P2P software distributors to work together to enable and support consumer service improvements as P2P adoption and resultant traffic evolves while protecting the intellectual property (IP) of participating entities
5. Establish appropriate and voluntary best practices for the deployment of P4P mechanisms to meet the above identified objectives in a way that can be sustained by all of the necessary participants

P4PWG Path to Progress

1. Publish the Mission and Objectives of the working group
2. Publish a call for participants in the working group and recruit a balanced representation of core members
3. Draft and reach agreement on a P4P pilot study to expand beyond simulation research done to date, including the test plan, timeline, and deliverables
4. Ensure that the test plan emphasizes quantification of performance improvements using to-be-determined (TBD) measurements
5. Organize and conduct the P4P pilot study to ascertain an efficient means for accelerating content distribution and optimizing the use of network resources for content distribution using P2P software programs
6. Prepare and publish voluntary DCIA recommended practices for P4P adoption based on results of the pilot study

P4PWG Membership

The P4P Working Group (P4PWG) was established in July 2007 at the direction of DCIA Member companies Pando Networks and Verizon Communications to be conducted under the auspices of the DCIA pursuant to the trade association's guidelines for such activities. At the formative meeting of the P4PWG, representatives of Pando and Verizon were elected as Co-Chairs, Haiyong Xie as the Principal Researcher.

Membership in the P4PWG was initially organized in two Groups:

1. Core Participants.

   Qualifications for Core Participants are that their primary business be either a) Internet service provider (ISP) providing broadband access service to consumers; or b) peer-to-peer (P2P) software developer or distributor providing file-sharing service to consumers.

   For such P4PWG Core Participants, there is no cost to participate in the P4PWG and no pre-requisite for acceptance into the P4PWG, such as DCIA Membership. The P4PWG is open to all ISPs and P2Ps on a global basis, subject only to the approval of the P4PWG Co-Chairs.

   In addition, DCIA Member companies in good standing are entitled as a privilege of Membership to participate in the P4PWG.

2. Observers.

   Qualifications for Observers are that their primary business be relevant to the Mission of the P4PWG. In addition to the qualifications for Core Participants (i.e., certain ISPs and P2Ps may elect to be Observers rather than Core Participants), this also includes vendors, suppliers, and researchers whose work centers on the P4PWG Mission. Acceptance as a P4PWG Observer is subject to the approval of the P4PWG Co-Chairs.

P4PWG Participants