Network overlay

A network overlay is a type of network architecture, usually one in which a network runs on top of another. For example, peer-to-peer networks are usually overlay networks(without central control) because they run top of the Internet.

The overlay contains the distributed information in the network including connectivity information, location/name of superpeers, closest peers, and adjacency.

Dial-up internet is essentially an overlay upon the traditional telephone network.

List of overlay network protocols

• Chord A Massachusetts Institute of Technology lookup service project in development.
• The Circle
• P-Grid
• Tapestry
• Kademlia
• Pastry
• GISP
• Khashmir
• SharkyPy
• NEOnet

See also

Anonymous P2P Application programming interface

External links

• A description of network overlays

See also: Network overlay, Anonymous P2P, Application programming interface, Chord project, Internet, Kademlia, Khashmir, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NEOnet, Network