Modelling and Simulation of Peer-to-Peer Overlay Network Protocols using OverSim

Due to the large scale and decentralized nature of peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, it is prohibitively expensive to test a P2P algorithm by deploying it on real-world networks and obtaining data on its performance. To be able to conduct research on evaluation of P2P protocols, simulation is often used as it can provide beneficial results without the expense of creating a real network. P2P networks can make use of a wide variety of protocols to locate resources such as data files and other peer nodes on the network. In the last decade, numerous studies have been performed to address the problem of resource discovery in P2P networks. The goal of this research is to simulate a selection of P2P overlay networking protocols in an attempt to evaluate and compare their performance in a dynamic environment.