Deployment Models

Peer-to-Peer Deployment Mode

You can deploy ActiveSpaces-enabled applications in a true peer-to-peer configuration where all processes are direct peers to each other and there are no “servers” or “clients,” but rather seeders (contributing nodes) and leeches (non-contributing nodes).

This deployment mode yields the highest performance level, but requires all processes to establish bidirectional TCP connections with each other. In peer-to-peer mode, it is also recommended (although not absolutely required) that all the peers be physically interconnected by LANs (Local Area Networks) or MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks) rather than by WANs (Wide Area Networks).

You cannot use peer-to-peer deployment mode if there is network address translation between any of the peer machines.

Remote Client Deployment Mode

In this deployment mode, seeder processes (which can be seen as “servers”) are full peers to each other and fully interconnected by TCP connections. Any number of applications can access the seeders as remote clients by making a single TCP connection to one of the ActiveSpaces agent processes, which act as proxies for the remote clients. Remote clients can connect to their ActiveSpaces agent proxies over any network topology that supports TCP connections, including WANs.

You can use this deployment mode even if there is a one-way firewall or network address translation between the remote client and the full peer proxi(es).