DTPX - Distributed Torrent-based Peer-to-Peer File Exchange

A Python-based distributed file downloading system that accelerates downloads by distributing work across multiple peer servers.

Architecture

The system consists of three components:

Component	Purpose	Default Port
Tracker (tracker.py)	Central registry that coordinates peers	5000
Peer Server (server.py)	Downloads file segments on behalf of clients	6000
Peer Client (client.py)	Initiates downloads, distributes work to peers	-

How It Works

1. Peer Servers register with the Tracker
2. Client requests a file URL and asks the Tracker for available peers
3. Client divides the file into segments (one per peer)
4. Each Peer Server downloads its assigned segment in parallel
5. Client reassembles all segments into the final file

┌────────┐         ┌─────────┐         ┌─────────────┐
│ Client │ ──1──▶  │ Tracker │ ◀──reg──│ Peer Server │
└────────┘         └─────────┘         └─────────────┘
    │                                        ▲
    │                                        │
    └────────────2. Request Segments─────────┘
                 3. Download & Return

Project Structure

dtpx/
├── tracker.py              # Tracker entry point
├── server.py               # Peer server entry point
├── client.py               # Client entry point
├── trackermodule/          # Tracker logic
├── peerserver/             # Server logic
├── peerclient/             # Client logic
├── utils/                  # Shared utilities (downloader, file handling)
└── configfiles/            # Configuration (ports, threads, directories)

Usage

1. Start the Tracker

python tracker.py

2. Start Peer Server(s)

Run on one or more machines:

python server.py

3. Download a File

python client.py <file_url>

Configuration

Configuration files are located in configfiles/:

• tracker-config.ini - Tracker port settings
• peer-server-config.ini - Server port, tracker address, threads
• peer-client-config.ini - Tracker address, download directory, threads, proxy settings

Fallback Behavior

• If no peer servers are available, the client falls back to multithreaded download locally
• If the target URL doesn't support range requests, same fallback applies

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• urllib3