eDonkey2000

EDonkey2000 ( also abbreviated eD2K ) is the one the name of a file-sharing network on the Internet, on the other hand, the name of the first client for this network.

ED2K at both the peer-to -peer principle as well as the client-server principle, be used. The software that is installed to participate in the network by the user, it still calls the client.

• 3.1 Client-Server
• 3.2 serverless
• 3.3 Peer -to-Peer

• 6.1 Legal situation with eDonkey links

History

Originally able to use the file-sharing network only with the software eDonkey2000 of MetaMachine Internet users. The first existing separation between Overnet and eDonkey has been lifted. 2002 arose from dissatisfaction with the original eDonkey2000 client eMule project to create an alternative client on open-source basis. eMule is however strongly tied to Windows, which is why aMule an easy -to-port forming client was created in 2003. Around this time, the trend of many servers with few users to a few servers with many users. Servants in May 2002, still 300 to 350 Server 200,000 clients, in November 2003 60 Server for 1.5 million clients were responsible.

In October 2004, the eDonkey network overtook the used by Kazaa FastTrack network in terms of the number of users: 70 servers served 2.5 million clients. On 14 May 2005, the 4- million -user limit has been exceeded. After the developers of the original eDonkey software had been threatened on the part of the RIAA legal means, they accounted for the further development due to lack of money for legal countermeasures temporarily. In March 2006, the inventor and developer of the network Jed McCaleb announced the resumption of development. At this time, the network counted about 3.5 million users.

Legal action there was also against admin. Thus, on 21 February 2006 " Razorback 2.0" is the largest at the time server separate from the Belgian police from the mains. Due to the enormous amount of data no connection data is stored on the hard drives, which is why any information of 16 GB of memory lost when switching off went. Even before the shutdown of the Razorback servers were under the same name several fakeserver in operation.

In May 2006 the eDonkey2000 network counted about 3.4 million users.

On 12 September 2006, the distribution of the eDonkey client was stopped and the websites of MetaMachine (among www.edonkey2000.com and www.overnet.com ) off. The eDonkey network itself was therefore not disabled. It is still possible to use with other client software, the eDonkey P2P network. Thus, the open source client eMule is represented for several years with a share of over 90 % in the ed2k network and is the de facto standard client in this network.

ED2k Links

With the help of these links, a server in the server list or a file can be added to the download list of the client. The following links show examples of their construction:

• File: ed2k :/ / | file | file.txt | 123 | 1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef |
• Server: ed2k :/ / | server | 195.245.244.243 | 4661 |

Link components

• Ed2k :/ / | file Identifies the file as a link ed2k protocol and a file.
• File.txt Is the client the name of the file. Exchangeable.
• 123 Specifies the size of the file in bytes.
• 1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef Indicates the hash value to identify the file. For files that are greater than / equal to a so-called " Chunk ", it is the cross- MD4 hash of all concatenated MD4 Einzelhashes, which consist of one chunk to about 9.28 MB (exactly 9500 KB or 9728000 Bytes) data be calculated (this is an empty chunk appended in the case where the file exactly one chunk size has ). For files that are smaller than a chunk size, simply specify the MD4 hash of the file will be used.

ED2K users can provide such eD2k Links to other users; the link always points to the same file (the file name does not matter, only size and hash value are crucial ). Therefore, to the same file also often multiple file names in circulation, some clients can show the user a list of file names found in the network, so that the user can select one of these file names.

Connection variants

Client- server

The client attempts to connect to a server. The server software is a program written specifically for this purpose program. Basically, every Internet user provide a eD2K server, but this is not for users with Internet connections under 2 Mbit / sec due to the high network load sense.

The operators of ed2k servers of which are deviated to use the original server software. Instead, other software, the Lugdunum eserver - or satan - edonkey -server is used. This could for example be increased considerably while remaining bandwidth and hardware requirements, the number of users per server.

Essentially, the following communication between client and server takes place:

• The client transmits the information on its shared files (shares ) to a server that indexes them.
• The client would like to search for a file and transmits a portion of a file name ( some other properties such as file size are also possible ) on one or more servers. Browse The requested server its indexes and send the corresponding eD2k links back.
• The client queries regularly from all known servers which clients share the files they want to download. The servers look in their indices and send IP addresses and ports of these clients back.

Thus, the server can manage only an index of shared files and corresponding client addresses. A server stores and will not send any files, but only its metadata.

Serverless

As the network load of the servers with increasing popularity of the eD2k network continues to rise, several concepts have been developed to relieve the server. By now, most clients are able to compress their traffic with the server using the zlib library and save as data transfer rate at the expense of CPU time. But the most radical approach was the one to rebuild the eDonkey network to a serverless network. The original eD2K developers built this, first a new client ( Overnet ) who operated without any server using the Kademlia algorithm. As soon as once one is connected to another Overnet client, you get a list of clients that you can ask on the search for a specific file. If a client does not have the file (by the way the rule ), " knows" at least identify the other client of the file is topologically closer and can " help ". Overnet worked well, but suffered from the fact that the search for files vonstattenging very slow and a significant portion of the bandwidth of the client was lost as overhead for the search. It was because of the approach to make eDonkey completely serverless, again. The goal was no longer completely abolish the server, but parallel to the server-based search serverless to seek and to relieve the server. This functionality was first integrated into the original eDonkey client, which thus became the hybrid eDonkey client.

Also, the development team of the popular eMule client has now developed a hybrid client that replaced the old, only server-based client with the version jump to 00:40; the eMule implementation of the Kademlia algorithm, however, differs somewhat from that of the eDonkey clients located.

Peer-to- Peer

Once a client has been informed by the server about other clients, it attempts to connect with them. The following are the client peers are named because they are equal and the ed2k servers in this part of the data transfer does not matter anymore.

A peer has a limited number of upload locations ( slots). Each peer that requests a file from another peer, occupies one slot in this. If all slots are occupied, the peers are on a waiting list (queue ) and have to wait until it's their turn.

The peers can download a file from multiple sources simultaneously and thus shorten the download time. At the same time it can produce parts ( chunks ) to send their ongoing downloads already available to other peers.

Small selection of ed2k client

• EMule is currently the most widely used ed2k client. It was originally developed only for Windows, and includes several extensions to the eD2k network protocol itself (eg, credit system, web interface, source exchange), which were incorporated into other ed2k clients. For many eMule eMule mod exist called Forks. There are now aMule and xMule also ports for Unix - based systems. eMule can also be additionally or exclusively serverless connected via the Kademlia algorithm with the eD2k network since version 12:40.
• MLDonkey is primarily developed for Linux, but there are also versions for Darwin, FreeBSD, MorphOS, Solaris and Windows. It uses next to the eD2k protocol and the FastTrack, OpenNap, Direct Connect, BitTorrent and many other protocols.
• Shareaza is also a hybrid client that shows up next to the eD2k protocol and the Gnutella, Gnutella2, and the BitTorrent protocol over of course.
• Lphant is developed primarily for Windows, but there is also a command line version that supports both Windows and even Linux and MacOS. Lphant also supports web cache.

Addons

The following addons are available for Firefox:

• Copy ed2k links
• EMule Web one- click
• FireMule

Terms of Use

Spiegel Online reported on 23 May 2006 that the day before " complete surprise [ ... ] investigators knocked loose against thousands of German eDonkey users " would have. At this message was never heard anything back, no methods have been known.

On 12 September 2006, the distribution of the eDonkey client was stopped and the websites of MetaMachine (among www.edonkey2000.com and www.overnet.com ) off. Furthermore, MetaMachine agreed to pay $ 30 million to the RIAA to avoid litigation.

Legal situation in eDonkey Links

By order of 15 July 2005, the Hamburg Regional Court had to rule on the admissibility of eDonkey links to copyrighted material on a website in the proceedings in the interim relief. The court here was of the opinion that both the site owner and server owner could serve as interferers in the context of a copyright claim for injunctive relief.

No problems setting eDonkey links is of course if the author agrees. It may be useful for authors thoroughly to offer works on swap meets, instead of for to rent space on a web server. It is important to note for the user: The fact that a work with the author's consent under eDonkey link is accessible, does not necessarily mean that the work has become public domain. It simply means that the author agrees with the spread in the eDonkey2000 network. For the distribution in other networks, you still need the explicit consent of the author.

Manipulating Server

In the eD2k network and servers are active, try to fool the user. A simple approach is the imitation of a known eD2k server by its name is assumed. While the IP address is different, this is not considered by most users. If the server returns from a fake number of active users and indexed files, he attracted by the higher attractiveness to users.

The operator of the server now has the option to take down file requests, to filter and fake. This can be done via file types, keywords or via hash value and file size. How about trying some servers, users to download malware to entice by answering every query and give the malware a matching term in the name.

Some users suggest that manipulation partly done on behalf of a community of interest in the film or music industry, such as the RIAA, the harm in this way the network and can get information about infringing activities.