Space Members and Member Roles

Applications that need access to a space join the space and become space members.

Your application can play two distribution roles when it joins a space.

• Seeder - Plays an active role in maintaining the space by providing CPU and RAM resources.
• Leech - Plays a passive role. Has access to space data but provides no resources.

For detailed information on joining a space, see The getSpace Method.

• Characteristics of Seeders versus Leeches
  You can consider seeders to be “servers” for the space, and leeches to be “clients.”
• The as-agent Process
  ActiveSpaces includes a utility called as-agent, which can join a space and function as a seeder.
• The as-agent as a Seeder for Remote Clients
  A connection to a metaspace through a seeder or a leech is a direct connection to the metaspace. For applications running on hosts that are remote from the metaspace, or separated from it by a firewall, you can connect as a remote client.
• About Joining the Space as a Seeder or a Leech
  There are some factors that determine when your application must join a space as a seeder or a leech.