Peer clustering: a hybrid approach to distributed virtual environments

This paper proposes a hybrid architecture for distributed virtual environments, utilizing servers alongside peer-to-peer components. Current research into peer-based systems seeks to alleviate resource constraints, but it largely ignores a number of difficult problems, from bootstrapping and persistence to user authentication and system security (i.e., cheat resistance). This work proposes a hybrid architecture that turns the massive scale of the system from a problem into an asset, while still providing the features essential to a distributed virtual environment. Peers work together to distribute the workload, allowing redundant peer clusters to overcome failures and detect unacceptable behavior. The goal is to reduce cost and significantly increase the size of the concurrent user base while providing equivalent levels of robustness, persistence, and security. Simulations show that the hybrid architecture can handle massive populations.