Implementation and analysis of the BitTorrent protocol with a multi-agent model

A peer to peer (P2P) computer network relies on direct connections between participants instead of conventional centralized resources. This kind of network is useful for many purposes, but its killer application nowadays is file sharing. BitTorrent is a very popular protocol for this matter.In this paper, we model a BitTorrent network as a multi-agent system. In it, each BitTorrent client is an agent that interacts with other agents and reacts autonomously, following the same decision algorithms as a real client. The clients aim at downloading content files in the shortest time possible and they share them with other agents.The model is programmed in JADE, a software framework in Java language for agent development. The model has been validated by initial tests, and it will be used to study the behavior of BitTorrent networks in diverse situations that are hard to emulate in a real network, or to simulate with other models, like modifications of the protocol or user behaviors.