Distributed containers

Distributed hash tables provide similar functionality to ordinary hash tables but they distribute stored data across a self-organized peer-to-peer network. In this thesis we explore the various challenges DHTs must face and we also examine the algorithms used to overcome them. We focus on key location algorithms as well as the data maintenance strategies. Furthermore, the thesis also includes a flexible and simple-to-use implementation of a DHT. The DHT is based on a set of algorithms which we believe provide good balance between performance and bandwidth usage. The implemented DHT may form the basis of a large-scale decentralized application. However, practical deployment of the DHT on hundreds of nodes and evaluation of the performance of the implemented DHT in such a deployment is outside the scope of this thesis