Dutch University Uses BitTorrent to Update Workstations
Written by Ernesto on March 06, 2008In the US, several universities have banned filesharing applications such as BitTorrent, mostly under pressure from the RIAA. A university in the Netherlands has taken a different approach. They use uTorrent to distribute software and OS updates across 6500 workstations, and end up saving a lot of time, money and resources by doing so.
The BitTorrent protocol was designed to save companies time, resources and bandwidth while distributing large files. For some reason this aspect of BitTorrent never really got off the ground. Until now that is.
According to an article in the weekly Dutch magazine Automatiserings Gids, the Dutch university INHOLLAND uses BitTorrent as a network management tool to distribute software to 6500 desktop computers in 16 different locations throughout the Netherlands. Instead of distributing software updates and images from several centralized servers, INHOLAND now utilities the efficiency of BitTorrent, and uses all the computers in the network to help distribute the files.
Before they decided to use BitTorrent, more than 20 servers were needed to distribute 25.6 TBs of data to the desktops, and even then it could take up to 4 days to update them all. Now, with BitTorrent, this process has speeded up significantly, and all computers are updated with the latest software in less than 4 hours. The data doesn’t have to be distributed from one location, since all the workstations connected to the network actively help in the distribution.
The university has now only 2 central servers that run SMS2003, which is sufficient to keep all the 6500 workstations updated. ICT specialist Frank Gombault commented:
The university now uses 20 servers less than before, those servers were placed decentralized to send data to the desktops and to spare the WAN-connections.
It is not hard to see that BitTorrent saves them a lot of money on hardware and power.
Leo Blom, an ICT consultant at ITeleo came up with the idea and worked it out together with BitTorrent Inc, the developers of uTorrent. “I received a lot of support from the developers at BitTorrent, and they benefit on their turn [sic] from having access to all the relevant logs from this professional test case,” he said. “It is a win-win situation.”
BitTorrent Inc. co-founder Ashwin Navin told TorrentFreak in a response: “Ever since we launched BitTorrent DNA there has been a lot of interest in the commercial applications for BitTorrent. We believe BitTorrent will become a key piece of business infrastructure and the IT community in Holland is agreeing with that vision.”
Initially, the university’s management team was a bit reluctant to use the popular filesharing protocol as a desktop management solution, simply because it is often linked to copyright infringement. However, after they had seen it in action, they were totally convinced that they had made the right decision. Apart from that, the BitTorrent clients have no connection to the Internet, and students and employees don’t have access to it since the modified version of uTorrent runs on a special user account.
Most of TorrentFreak’s readers already know that BitTorrent can save quite a bit of money, but it is good to see large organisations start realizing this as well.
Perhaps YouTube’s next?
Previously: IFPI Pressure Forces ISPs to Block Another File-Sharing Site
Next: BitTorrent Throttling Company Sandvine Sees Sales Down 88%
43 Responses
Good Tip & Trick !
I recommend all universities LoL :)
Youtube??
I dont think so, I am sure they are fine as they are. Torrents involve people stayin online
Anyway, do I get a prize for posting first?
[quote comment="305356"]Youtube??
I dont think so, I am sure they are fine as they are. Torrents involve people stayin online
[/quote]
They could easily save millions of dollars if they use p2p based streaming, actually, I think that it is essential if we want “affordable” HD-sreaming in the future.
Finally somebody realizes that the technology is incredible compared to TODAYS STANDARDS..
Stop trying to ban it and use it to your advantage, thats your only choice anyway.
Nice change :)
One more step towards the PROTOCOL being accepted… i hope
Hurrah.
About time I’d say.
A nice step forward.
Seems as people are starting to see that torrent-technology will be important in the future.
The problem would be the control, as it would need to be in the hands of the user if the companies would require you to upload to others while you watch your youtube video. Of course, since they would be the ones saving millions of dollars… they would want it the other way around.
^ This is a good example of how Bittorent’s being made a good use of.
At this rate, anti-p2p companies like the RIAA and MPAA won’t last long.
InHolland’s approach is great and a good example for other universities and companies rolling out software.
But YouTube? I don’t think Google worries about bandwidth and resources much in the first place. Userfriendliness is more a concern, i don’t see people wanting to install some kind of bittorrent client to watch a 5 minute movie, or waste your own bandwidth so total strangers can watch that same movie. I love bittorrent, but implementations should be reasonable :).
Inholland isnt a university, it’s more like a ‘college’ ;p
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbz-4aEy66E
Man, I know you were just thinking out loud, but there is no way I am going to use my bandwidth to share crappy movies on you tube. Sorry but the only way I would use bit torrent for streaming is for a extremely discounted (25c-$1) HD retail movie. Since all that has to be done is the company releases the DRM filled movie file onto the internets and sits back and collects mula while everyone distributes it. I’d be pissed if google started that with you tube. Sorry for the rant, it’s just my opinion though.
lube grease is what thar need.
[quote comment="305429"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbz-4aEy66E[/quote]
Spam!
[quote comment="305429"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbz-4aEy66E[/quote]
Low life bastard spam.
[quote comment="305429"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbz-4aEy66E[/quote]
You poor pathetic lost soul.
just to let the last three posters know… in a way, you’re spamming too. lol. but yeah this is an excellent idea! i’m on the network team for a technical institution and i’m going to try to instate this. never even crossed my mind, until now!
now where’s that DevilsAdvocate kid who always come in here screaming “omfg, p2p are only for illegal sharingz!”.
Anyone else want to know how they know the file is done downloading/start the file transfer to being with.
Those numbers make little sense. 25.6TB/6500 = 4GB per client. Why on earth would they need to roll out updates that big? And (25.6TB/4 days)/20 is 31Mbps per server, which is pretty poor performance
INHOLLAND isn’t a university.
They use a loophole in the regulations, which don’t protect the word university as belonging to an institute that is allowed to give out titles as Bachelor of, Master of, PhD.
What they do teach is the highest level of applied training
youtube next is a good idea. i hope that they are listening. the problem then, will be ensure no copyrighted is uploaded.
so they can now use 20 servers less?!
I already see the server manufacturers banding together with MAFIAA and “they are devastating us. µtorrent must be banned”-shouting!
;-)
BBC iPlayer (: .
A very interesting article… it’s really good to see such a good idea to use BT in the big world of schools and companies…
Uhm.. Whatever they may claim, In Hokkabd is NOT a university.
Yes it’s useful for this place..
My friend on a site named Tallmeet.com told me this
[quote comment="305762"]Uhm.. Whatever they may claim, In Hokkabd is NOT a university.[/quote]
thats not really the point though, is it?. They could call themselves a martian research station for all I care, but they would still be putting BT to good use.
gameservers.com has been using bittoreent to do server installs for atleast a year now.
[quote comment="305417"]InHolland’s approach is great and a good example for other universities and companies rolling out software.
But YouTube? I don’t think Google worries about bandwidth and resources much in the first place. Userfriendliness is more a concern, i don’t see people wanting to install some kind of bittorrent client to watch a 5 minute movie, or waste your own bandwidth so total strangers can watch that same movie. I love bittorrent, but implementations should be reasonable :).[/quote]
This is something that can easily be implemented into .net or activex. The end user wouldn’t have to worry much about it. Similar to a flash player calling to the torrent plugin. Just a thought.
[quote comment="305417"]InHolland’s approach is great and a good example for other universities and companies rolling out software.
But YouTube? I don’t think Google worries about bandwidth and resources much in the first place. Userfriendliness is more a concern, i don’t see people wanting to install some kind of bittorrent client to watch a 5 minute movie, or waste your own bandwidth so total strangers can watch that same movie. I love bittorrent, but implementations should be reasonable :).[/quote]
This is something that can easily be implemented into .net or activex. The end user wouldn’t have to worry much about it. Similar to a flash player calling to the torrent plugin. Just a thought.
[quote comment="306074"]
This is something that can easily be implemented into .net or activex. The end user wouldn’t have to worry much about it. Similar to a flash player calling to the torrent plugin. Just a thought.[/quote]
Though that would defeat inter-OS compatibility. Plus ActiveX justisn’t considered a safe protocol.
A flash torrent methodology would be possible in the future perhaps, but would require a new version of flash to be created with that functionality(able to make a call to an inbuilt tracker).
However I think while it may save bandwidth, the server execution overhead would be crazy to constantly update the tracker for so many files.
Like “Who Cares” and “youknow” already said, but I would like to underline:
INHOLLAND is not a university. No academic research is done. Students are subpar. Nuff said.
Can I download the InHolland operating system from The Pirate Bay? ;)
significantly it is a commercial implementation of the protocol on a scale which cannot be ignored
I love the Netherlands – coffeeshops, a good democracy and smart people. ;)
[quote comment="305596"]INHOLLAND isn’t a university.
They use a loophole in the regulations, which don’t protect the word university as belonging to an institute that is allowed to give out titles as Bachelor of, Master of, PhD.
What they do teach is the highest level of applied training[/quote]
i’m sorry to say but never ever have they portraid themselfs as being a university. they are a HIGH SCHOOL in the true european sense. eg HIGH SCHOOL is after you have finished ‘highschool’ or at least have acquired your GED. i’m sorry for the confusion but it’s not our fault the united states chose to follow the brittish systems instead of what the rest of europe was using, and yes the UK was/is an odd duck in the pond.
[quote comment="306738"][quote comment="305596"]INHOLLAND isn’t a university.
They use a loophole in the regulations, which don’t protect the word university as belonging to an institute that is allowed to give out titles as Bachelor of, Master of, PhD.
What they do teach is the highest level of applied training[/quote]
i’m sorry to say but never ever have they portraid themselfs as being a university. they are a HIGH SCHOOL in the true european sense. eg HIGH SCHOOL is after you have finished ‘highschool’ or at least have acquired your GED. i’m sorry for the
confusion but it’s not our fault the united states chose to follow the brittish systems instead of what the rest of europe was using, and yes the UK was/is an odd duck in the pond.[/quote]
INHOLLAND is a “hoge school” and yes the literal translation is “high school”. These institutes are actually equal to universities of applied sciences.
‘Hogescholen’ are not allowed to be called ‘universiteit’ in the Netherlands. A couple of years ago some ‘hogescholen’ promoted them selfs as Universities outside of the Netherlands. This led to some studente filing complaints after ariving in hte netherlands when they found out taht they were;nt actualy studying at a univerit but at a ‘hogeschool’. This year the “HBO-raad” (The Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences)decided that in communication outside of the Netherlands the term “University of Applied Science” is to be used for the these schools. (there are a few exeptions)
[quote comment="306253"]Like “Who Cares” and “youknow” already said, but I would like to underline:
INHOLLAND is not a university. No academic research is done. Students are subpar. Nuff said.[/quote]
I bet you shit solid gold bricks huh…
“Perhaps YouTube’s next?”
Check out http://www.getmiro.com/ (Previously known as democracyplayer.) This pretty much does exactly what you’re saying here.
YouTube could save a lot of bandwidth people watching the same video helped seed. YouTube would still do most of the web seeding but some peers could contribute back. The more peers there are, the less bandwidth YouTube has to serve. Its a very good idea. Bandwidth costs money, so any company that uses massive amounts of bandwidth is interested in lowering their costs.
Land of the free… eh…
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