From P2P to Web Services and Grids: Peers in a Client / Server World (Computer Communications and Networks) (Paperback)

The text, whilst aimed at and suitable for an undergraduate study module, will also appeal to industry practitioners. It is easily understood and supplemented by an extensive list of references to more detailed sources for those that need the extra detail. Chapter by chapter the author, who is clearly knowledgeable, explains peer-to-peer systems, Grids, Web Services, service-oriented architectures and distributed object technologies. This is done both in general terms and with reference to specific examples of the technologies in action: Gnutella, Napster, Jini, Jxta, Globus, SOAP, WSDL and UDDI. The final chapter covers the latest developments in Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSF) and Web Services Resource Framework (WSRF). As well as exploring specific technologies, there are two general purpose chapters on scalability and security of distributed systems in general.

The book has four parts, I - Distributed Environments, II - Middleware, Applications and Supporting Technologies, III - Middleware Deployment, and IV- From Web Services to Future Grids. The Part I functions as an orientation. It talks about what are P2P, web services, and grid computing technologies. It covers the concept, the history, the social impact, and the applications. The Part II explores several well-known P2P and distributed computing technologies, e.g. Jini, Gnutella, Freenet, and JXTA. It also gives in-depth look at several important concerns, e.g. scalability and security. The chapter on security is well written and clearly explains what are cryptography, hashing, and digital signature. Additionally, the chapter on Freenet clearly explains how Freenet works and organizes content. The author has effectively used analogy to describe key concepts, "virtual organization", storing and addressing contents, network topology, etc. The Part III includes chapters on several demo applications. Due to my busy schedule, I did not have time to download and build those software applications. The Part IV is a section dedicated to Grid technologies, particularly on Globus. This section expands the discussion from chapter 4.

As the editor-in-chief of P2P Journal, I have found reading this book was well worth my time. It is concise and clear. The book uses unambiguous language to cover some abstract and difficult to grasp concepts. It can be a useful book for people who want to understand those technologies, whether as a general purpose or as a handbook.