Processing data structures in a peer-to-peer network

Collaborative working projects require information to be shared between participants. That information can take many forms and is usually stored digitally making it possible to be processed by computers. The introduction of Peer-to-peer computing made it possible to share whole files between individuals which was typified by Napster allowing music files (e.g. MP3) for personal use to be transferred between two internet users. This provided an opportunity for collaborative working projects to use peer-to-peer as a means of supporting this sharing of information. The use of XML opens up the prospect of processing data structures as well as whole files in a peer-to-peer environment. Tools have emerged and are now being refined to allow information to be passed between peers in XML format. This paper looks at one of these tools, JXTA from the SUN Corporation and applies it specifically to collaborative working. Through the experience gained by the development of a prototype the extent that JXTA and XML meets the challenges thrown up by collaborative working will be examined.