CAL

 STATE  SAN  MARCOS  

FILE  SHARING:  
Applications  to  Business  
MIS  304:  Final  Research  Paper  
 
Jayrell  Ringpis  
 
Gregory  Priebe  
 
Julius  Inigo  
 
Vincent  Quick  
 
Brian  Lockpedersen  
 
 
 
12/13/2011  

Abstract:  This  paper  is  a  research  paper  conducted  by  five  students  in  Professor  Fang’s  “Management  
Information  Systems”  Course  at  California  State,  San  Marcos.  All  research  was  conducted  online  through  
secondary  resources  and  compiled  to  discuss  the  different  types  of  file  sharing.  The  paper  also  covers  
the  legality  of  file  sharing  and  what  business  model  would  is  recommended  for  businesses  in  2011  and  
shortly  thereafter.  
 Table of Contents
I. INTRODUCTION TO FILE SHARING ...................................................... 1
a. Definition of File Sharing ......................................................................... 1
b. Common File Sharing Terms ................................................................... 1
c. The Four Different Types of File Sharing .............................................. 2

II. SYSTEM-NATIVE FILE SHARING

a. About .......................................................................................................... 2
b. Microsoft to Microsoft .............................................................................. 3
c. Macintosh to Macintosh ........................................................................... 5
d. Macintosh to Microsoft............................................................................. 7
e. Benefits ....................................................................................................... 9
f. Risks ........................................................................................................... 9
g. How to Protect Your Computer .............................................................. 10

III. CLIENT-SERVER FILE SHARING ............................................................ 11

a. About .......................................................................................................... 11
b. Benefits ....................................................................................................... 12
c. Risks ........................................................................................................... 13
d. How To Protect Your Computer ............................................................. 13

IV. PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING ............................................................... 13

a. About .......................................................................................................... 13
b. Dangers and Risks .................................................................................... 14
c. Peer-to Peer Software ............................................................................... 15

V. CLOUD FILE SHARING ............................................................................... 16

a. Introduction ............................................................................................... 16
b. Cloud vs. Client-Server & Peer-to-Peer.................................................. 16
c. Cloud-Based Services................................................................................ 17
d. Cloud Architectures .................................................................................. 17

VI. LEGALITY OF FILE SHARING ................................................................. 18

a. Copyrights ................................................................................................. 19
b. Fallout of File Sharing .............................................................................. 20
c. Federal Intervention ................................................................................. 20

VII. BEST USE FOR BUSINESS .......................................................................... 21

a. Risk of Jumping to the Cloud .................................................................. 21
b. Most Cost-Effective Model for Business ................................................. 21

VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................... 24

INTRODUCTION TO FILE SHARING

Definition of File Sharing

What is file sharing? File sharing is the sharing of computer data with others through a

network. These networks can be either public or private. File sharing of documents can be used

for viewing, editing, or printing. File sharing can also be used for other things like sharing media

files with other people. File sharing is basically the action of distributing or providing access to

any digital stored information, whether it is a computer program, multimedia, document, or

electronic book.

File sharing has many different purposes, but some of the more common ones include

sharing documents with fellow employees, being able to access work documents from home, and

sharing media files with others. File sharing includes one or more administrators and the users

may all have the same or different levels of access privilege. Computer networks allow you to

share files with friends, family, coworkers and customers. Before the Internet and home

networks became popular, files were often shared using floppy disks. Nowadays, some people

still use CD-ROM / DVD-ROM disks and USB keys for transferring their photos and videos, but

networks give you more flexible options.

Common File Sharing Terms

When you are file sharing you are most likely either downloading a document or

uploading a document. Downloading is the process of receiving files from another source onto

your computer. Uploading is the process of taking files from your computer and making the

available to others. There are many different types of file formats that can be shared through file
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sharing. Many will run across many different extension files. It’s not uncommon to work with

compression files such as rar and zip, videos files such as avi, mpg, mpeg, divx, xvid, wmx, and

asf, music files such as mp3, multimedia files like bin, cue, and iso, or office document files such

as txt, doc, pdf, and jpgs.

The Four Types of File Sharing

This paper will go in depth discussion about four different types of file sharing, and

which one would be most effective in the business world. The four architectures of file-sharing

are System-Native, Client Server, Peer-to Peer, and Cloud file sharing.

SYSTEM-NATIVE FILE SHARING

About

System-native file sharing describes file sharing tools that are built into your operating

system by its creators, such as Microsoft and Macintosh, including methods like Windows File

Sharing / Network Neighborhood / WINS, AppleTalk. The system-native file sharing tool was

originally intended for sharing files as well as printers with other users within your local

network, and not originally intended for sharing files with other users across the Internet. The

Microsoft Windows Network Neighborhood and Macintosh AppleTalk are the two most

frequently used examples of this model.

In a system-native file sharing situation, one computer contains data that another user of

another computer wants to access, and possibly modify as well. Let's say that User 1's computer

has a directory called Project A that one of their associates, User 2, needs to be able to see in

order to help with the project. User 1 has created a user account for User 2 on the computer.
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User 1 used file sharing to give User 2 access to the Project A directory. User 1 decides that

User 2 needs complete control so that User 2 can read the files, write to the files, rename the

files, and so forth. With this access, User 2 can treat everything in the Project A directory as

though it is a part of his or her own computer.

Microsoft to Microsoft

Windows provides two methods for sharing files directly from your computer. You can

share files from any folder on your computer or from the Public folder. Either method allows

you to share files or folders with someone using your computer or another computer on the same

network. Which method you use to share files with someone depends on where you want to

store the shared files, who you want to share them with, and how much control you want to have

over the files.

Follow these steps to share files from their current location without copying them to another

location. Using this method, you can choose the people with whom you want to share files,

regardless of whether they use this computer or another computer on the network. First you

want to locate the folder with the files you want to share. Now click on one or more files or

folders that you want to share, then on the toolbar click ‘Share’. In the ‘File Sharing’ dialog box,

do one of the following:

• Type the name of the person you want to share files with, and then click ‘Add’.

• If your computer is on a domain, click the arrow to the right of the text box, and then

click ‘Find’. Type the name of the person you want to share files with, click ‘Check

Names’, and then click ‘OK’.

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• If your computer is on a domain, click the arrow to the right of the text box, click

‘Everyone’ to share the files with everyone on your network, and then click ‘Add'.

• If your computer is on a workgroup, click the arrow to the right of the text box, click the

person's name in the list, and then click ‘Add’.

• If your computer is on a workgroup and you do not see the name of the person you want

to share files with in the list, click the arrow to the right of the text box, and then click

Create a new user to create a new user account so that you can share files with the person

using this account.

The name of the person or group that you selected appears in the list of people you want to share

files with. If your computer is on a workgroup, you have the option of turning password

protection on or off. If password protection is turned on, the person you are sharing with must

have a user account and password on your computer in order to access the files and folders you

are sharing. You can turn password protection on or off in the Network and Sharing Center.

Next, under ‘Permission Level’, click the arrow next to each person or group and select

sharing permissions:

• A Reader can view shared files, but not add, alter, or delete them.

• A Contributor can view or add shared files, but can only alter or delete files he or she has

contributed.

• A Co-owner can view, add, alter or delete any shared file.

If you are sharing a file instead of a folder, there is no option to set the permission level to

Contributor.

When you are finished choosing the people or groups you want to share files with, click

‘Share’. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password
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or provide confirmation. After you receive confirmation that your folder is shared, you should

send a link to your shared files to the people you are sharing them with, so they know the files

are shared and how to access them. Do one of the following:

• Click ‘E‑mail’ to automatically open a Windows Mail e‑mail message containing the

link to your shared files.

• Click ‘Copy’ to automatically copy the link displayed on this screen to the Windows

Clipboard. Then open a new e‑mail message and paste the link into the message.

• Manually copy and paste the link displayed on this screen into an e‑mail message.

Right-click the link and click ‘Copy Link’. Then open a new e‑mail message and paste

the link into the message. You might want to do this if you don't use Windows Mail as

your e‑mail program.

If you change the name of a file or folder after you have shared it with someone, the previous

link you sent them will not work. You should send them a link to the new location instead. An

easy way to get this link is to share the file or folder by following the preceding steps. If you

don't want to send an e‑mail message to the person you are sharing files with, click ‘Done’.

They won't be able to find the shared files, however, until you give them the network location of

the files.

Macintosh to Macintosh

You can set up your Mac to allow specific users and group accounts access to certain folders

with appropriate access privileges. You can share files using Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), File

Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. File Sharing on Mac OS X is
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intended for up to 10 simultaneously-connected clients. If you need to connect more than 10

users at one time, you should upgrade to the Unlimited-Client version of Mac OS X Server. To

enable and configure file sharing you will need to know the name and password of an

administrator account on your Mac. Before you begin, you might want to create all the user and

group accounts you will need in Accounts preferences.

First, you will need to open Sharing preferences. From the Apple menu, choose ‘System

Preferences’. From the ‘View’ menu, choose ‘Sharing’. Now, select folders to share by clicking

the plus (+) icon below the "Shared Folders:" field. A sheet appears where you can navigate to

the folder you wish to share. Repeat this process for all folders you wish to share. You can also

directly select a folder in the Finder to share. Select the folder, choose ‘Get Info’ from the ‘File’

menu, and enable "Shared Folder" to share it or deselect "Shared Folder" to stop sharing the

folder.

The next step is to configure the user and group accounts with appropriate access privileges.

In Sharing preferences, select the folder that is being shared. To add to the default user accounts

and groups that were selected when you shared the folder, click the plus (+) icon below the

"Users:" field. In the sheet that appears, select an existing user account or group. The default

privilege for a user account or group is "Read Only". If you want to change this, from "Read

Only", choose one of the following privilege options:

• Read & Write - The user can read, copy, edit and delete the contents of the folder.

• Read Only - The user can only read and copy (to another location) the contents of the

folder.

• Write Only (Drop Box) - The user can only copy content into the folder. The user cannot

see the contents of the drop box folder. A "Write Only" user can overwrite items in the
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drop box folder, if what they drop into it has the same name as an item already in the

drop box folder.

• No Access (groups only) - User accounts in this group will have no access to the folder.

However if their user account is added, the privileges assigned to the user account will

override their group restrictions.

Repeat this process for each folder being shared.

The third and final step is to choose the appropriate network protocol to communicate

with the kind of computer that's accessing your shared files. In Sharing preferences, click the

"Options..." button. Select the "Share files and folders using AFP" to enable the Apple Filing

Protocol to share files with other Macs. Select the "Share files and folders using FTP" to enable

the File Transfer Protocol. Use this protocol to file share with UNIX and LINUX systems.

Select "Share files and folders using SMB" to enable the Server Message Block protocol and

check the user accounts to enable for SMB. Use this protocol to file share with Microsoft

Windows-based PCs. You will have to enter the user's password for a user account that you

enable for SMB. Once you have selected the desired networking protocols, click "Done" to

complete the process.

Macintosh to Microsoft

File sharing between a Mac and a Windows computer is one of those tasks that can be

easy or moderately difficult, but it is not impossible or beyond the reach of a novice computer

user. Setting up OS X to share files with a PC running Windows is a fairly straightforward

process, but like any networking task, it's helpful to understand how the underlying process

works. Apple reconfigured the way Windows file sharing is set up. Instead of having separate
 7

Mac file sharing and Windows file sharing control panels, Apple placed all file sharing processes

in one system preference, making it easy to set up and configure file sharing.

To help your PC(s) that shared files appear in the "Shared" section of your Mac OS X

Finder sidebar, and for your PC(s) to locate your Mac that is sharing folders using SMB protocol

on the network, you should have your Mac join the appropriate Windows workgroup. Check

with your Windows administrator to learn which Windows Workgroup you need to join. Default

Windows workgroups are "MSHOME" and "WORKGROUP".

First, you must open Network preferences, in System Preferences, and ensure that the

padlock in the lower left is unlocked. If locked, click on it and, when prompted, enter an

administrator name and password. Click OK to continue.

Second step is to type "Workgroup" in the System Preferences search field and press

Return. Or click "Network", select an interface, then click "Advanced", then "WINS". Enter a

name for your Mac in the "NetBIOS Name:" field. Enter the appropriate Workgroup you want

to join in the "Workgroup:" field. Click OK.

Finally click "Apply" to complete the process. It might take a few minutes for the PC(s)

to appear in the "Shared" section of your Finder sidebar, and for PC to see the Mac in this

workgroup.

If your Mac is in an office environment, you might need to enter in one or more IP

addresses of your office "WINS" servers. Check with your Windows administrator to learn the

IP addresses of your office "WINS" servers. To enter the IP address of your "WINS" servers,

follow these steps:

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• Open Network preferences, in System Preferences, and ensure that the padlock in the

lower left is unlocked. If locked, click on it and, when prompted, enter an administrator

name and password. Click OK to continue.

• Type "WINS" in the System Preferences search field and press Return.

• Click the plus (+) icon below the "WINS Servers:" field.

• Enter one IP address for one of your "WINS" servers.

• Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each IP address of your "WINS" servers.

• Click OK.

• Click "Apply" to complete the process.

Benefits

When you're using system-native tools to share files with other users in your local

network, chances are quite good that you personally know the users you intend to allow into your

computer. However, on a network the size of a large university or large business, the chance that

you know all your "network neighbors" decreases dramatically. But it still takes a deliberate act

on your part to turn on file sharing and allow others on the network to access your computer.

The tools are built into the operating system, so you don't have to download or install any extra

software.

Risks

In many versions of both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, the permissions

that are automatically assigned when you enable file sharing on an item will allow far too much

access to your computer. For example, when you first share a directory on your Windows

computer, Windows assumes that you want to allow everyone full control to that directory. You
 9

need to go through and remove the "everyone" option and provide the control options you want

to the users you select, in order to prevent every user on the network from being able to see or

modify anything in that area. In some Macintosh operating systems, turning on file sharing

means that a "guest" account with a blank password is also turned on, and anyone can use that

account to access your system. Both system manufacturers designed those defaults with more

attention paid to the ideal of "make it simple to get it working" than to providing security from

unwanted behavior.

Even if you've carefully restricted the permissions on a given share, system-native file

sharing tools are built into the operating system. This means that whenever a new security

problem with these tools is discovered, it can potentially affect every computer with system-

native file sharing enabled. WINS, the Windows-native network protocol responsible for

Windows file sharing and the Network Neighborhood, is one of the most frequently-targeted

security vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system, and even though new patches are

released frequently, the fact remains that your computer can be vulnerable after a new exploit is

created and before new patches are released to fix the vulnerabilities.

How to Protect Your Computer

For most users on the campus wireless network, the vulnerabilities of system-native file

sharing usually outweigh the benefits. Therefore System-native file sharing probably is not

worth it. If you enable file sharing to allow just a single user to have access to a single folder,

then the file sharing mechanism is enabled, meaning that security flaws in the file-sharing

mechanism can leave you vulnerable. If you must share files and folders through the Windows

network neighborhood, make sure that you also have a personal firewall to help reduce the
 10

chances of intrusion. If you don't need this kind of file sharing, you can safely disable your

Windows or Macintosh native file sharing without affecting your ability to use client-server or

peer-to-peer shares.

If you are thinking about sharing files on a much smaller network for example, a home

network with two or three computers and a firewalled router between you and the rest of the

world then the benefits of system-native file sharing usually outweigh the risks. Therefore

system-native file sharing can be valuable. If you have a small number of computers and users

on your local network and that network is well separated from the rest of the Internet, it's hard to

beat the speed and convenience of being able to move your files around with a couple of clicks

regardless of which computer they're on. However, make sure that you follow the security steps

described in the Security Wizard to keep your system up to date and any file-sharing

vulnerabilities repaired.

CLIENT-SERVER FILE SHARING

About

Client-server file sharing is the most traditional Internet-based file sharing model,

covering everything from simple single-page web sites to complex e-commerce systems. If the

data to be distributed resides in one central location (whether a single machine or a cluster of

machines), and users who want the information must go to that location, the central location is

called the "server" and the users who want the information are called "clients." On the surface,

this model resembles the system-native model because a user goes to another computer for

information. However, the system-native model is used on people's workstations -- computers

where other functions like office work are the primary purpose, and file sharing is secondary. In
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most client-server setups, the server is a dedicated computer whose entire purpose is to distribute

files -- or, depending on the size of the operation, a huge group of computers. Nearly all the

major online information and e-commerce services (sites such as Amazon.com, eBay, Yahoo,

MSN, and more) follow the client-server file sharing model. On a smaller scale, most campus

services, such as NetFiles, Exchange Email, and Google Apps, also follow the client-server file

sharing model.

Benefits

Central administration and security: Both for system administrators and for system users,

the client-server model of file sharing means that there's only one system (or group of systems)

responsible for the data distribution, and usually a professional system administrator (or team of

administrators) deals with the security issues.

Unlike system-native file sharing, where every user needs to be his or her own security

officer and set file permissions on every share, client-side users typically don't have to change

any security settings in order to access files on the server or post files for distribution from the

server. The security design is taken care of by the server's administrators. Users simply need to

make sure their connection to the server is secure, by using encryption methods such as Secure

Socket Layer (SSL), and Secure Shell protocol (SSH). Then the server sends the files

(applications, web pages, etc.) over the secure connection to the client who wants the

information.

NetFiles, Exchange Email, Google Apps and many more server-based file and data

sharing services automatically require users to make secure connections. If you're using any of

these systems, you've already taken care of the encryption you need, because you aren't allowed
 12

to connect without it. The encryption ability may be built into your web browser, your email

client, or another piece of software required for access.

Risks

Single target for attacks: Because a client-server model transfers most of the security

responsibilities to the central server, most of the security risks focus on the server as well. If a

password database is compromised, or if a file is infected with a virus, security problems can

arise for the users who store their passwords in the database or download infected files. In

addition, the client-server file sharing model is more vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks.

Since everyone knows that the data comes from the central system, attackers can overload the

system with fake requests for information and slow the system to a halt.

Not all systems are well secured: Although many systems require the use of encryption to

protect your password and your communications with the server, not all systems are designed

this way. Some web sites store passwords unencrypted, send them to you in unprotected email

for your records, or simply assume that security isn't required. For example, many chat, blog,

forum, and other noncommercial sites assume that since no money is changing hands, password

security isn't as important as it would be to a bank or online store. If you reuse passwords in

more than one location, a compromise of a forum password can make your other accounts

vulnerable.

How to Protect Your Computer

Most modern security recommendations are written with the client-server model of file

sharing in mind.
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• Antivirus software protects your computer from virus-infected files.

• Firewalls protect your computer from unauthorized access attempts from other

computers.

• Patching your system protects you from threats antivirus software can't handle.

• Using different passwords for different services reduces the danger if one password is

compromised.

• If you follow the recommendations presented in the "Securing your Computer" Wizard,

you're following current best practices for keeping your computer safe in a client-server-

oriented network.

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

About

Peer to peer file sharing is the sharing of files between people. The files are not

downloaded off of a server, but rather off of other people who are sharing the file from their

computer. In order for peer to peer file sharing to work, the person wanting to download the files

will need to download a program that locates the files on the other party’s computer.

When you type into the search engine associated with your networking software, the

software does a search for the file that you are looking for. It searches all the computers that are

connected to the Internet at that time and have the software running on their computer. Once the

software finds the file that you are looking for, it displays that file and asks if you would like to

download it. If you hit download, then the software will start to download it from the other

person’s hard drive.

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These other computers are called seeders or peers, a seeder is a hard drive that has the

complete file on it and a peer is a hard drive that has a portion of the file on it. You can be

downloading a file from multiple seeders at one time, the more seeders that have the file you are

downloading the faster the downloading process will take place. When you are downloading

from multiple seeders you are getting different parts of the file from different people and the

software pieces the data together to make a complete file. While you are running the software,

your computer can be searched for the file and if you have the file on your hard drive, someone

can download the file from you. This type of file sharing is more commonly used for media files

such as music, movies, and books.

Dangers and Risks

The first danger is the risk of downloading a virus onto your hard drive. A lot of people

like to hide viruses in the files they choose to share with can be installed onto your hard drive

when you download the file. This can cause damage to your computer and be very expensive to

fix. Spyware can also be downloaded onto your computer which has a negative effect on your

computer and personal information.

Since you are connected to a network with other computers this leaves your computer

open to hackers and giving the access to what you have on your computer’s hard drive. On

business.ftc.gov they talk discuss this risk in more detail by saying, “P2P file sharing programs

allow computers to download files and make them available to other users on the network. P2P

users can designate the drives and folders from which files can be shared. In turn, other users can

download and view any files stored in these designated areas” (business.ftc.gov). When using

file sharing software you have to be careful to what files you allow it to have access to. People
 15

commonly make the mistake of giving it access to any files on the computer, and since people

can freely download files from your computer they basically have access to any file on your hard

drive when you have the software running. Once a file is downloaded it can no longer be deleted

even if it is deleted off of the original hard drive.

Peer-to-Peer Software

There is a lot of software available for use of peer-to-peer file sharing today. They are

both easy to get and easy to use. Some of the more common software includes Limewire,

Utorrent, Kazaa, and Bearshare. All of this software can be downloaded for free from the

internet. Some offer free versions with advertising and others offer versions that can be paid for

without advertising.

Utorrent is software used to download bit torrents. This is a little different because you

do not use the software to actually locate the files. There are search engines on the internet that

locate the file for you. Search engines online look for both seeders and peers and show files

which they find complete files of, whether it’s having one seeder with the full file or multiple

peers creating a complete file. When you click the link to download the file a tracker is activated.

On the website How Stuff Works they say, “The tracker identifies the swarm, which is the

connected computers that have all of or a portion of the file and are in the process of sending or

receiving it” (Carmack). The tracker helps the software know what pieces of the file you have so

it knows what it needs to download and what you already have. Bit torrents are the fastest way to

download files because of the fact that you are downloading from multiple hard drives and not

just one.
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CLOUD FILE SHARING

Introduction to the Cloud

Cloud is the currently one of the hottest trends among business professionals and

information technology applications. However, it is one of the most misused terms because the

ambiguity in its definition. The scope of the “cloud” varies; some consider it to be an updated

version of utility computing, while others argue that it is anything in conventional outsourcing.

Let’s step back and think about our goal in information technology development.

Businesses are always striving to increase capacity or add capabilities without investing huge

capital in new infrastructures or software. The “cloud” offers the possibility of extending IT over

the internet through virtualization and abstraction of resources. It achieves a new standard

demanded by business people by distributing computing task to various resources over a

network.

The greatest thing about the cloud is that it increases the range of your workplace. It

offers that your work will be stored, accessed, and updated in real-time. In addition, you do not

particularly have to be tech-savvy to use cloud systems. Instead, all the IT services are

outsourced and you can just focus on work, as if you were in the office or at home.

Cloud vs. Client-Server & Peer-to-Peer

Unlike the client-server model discussed earlier, the data is no longer anchored to one

physical location. In a way, you can think of the cloud as a sophisticated evolution from the

centralized client-server model. Now instead of a single server, you can use several servers from

a single vendor. This kind of fabrication offers high reliability in terms of uptime. The most
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distinct difference between the cloud and traditional client-server computing is that clients with

their own physical server knew the exactly where the data was being stored and accessed from,

whereas clients of the cloud are outsourcing their servers and resources, which could be

anywhere else in the world. The advantages marketed to consumers about the cloud are that

hardware, software licenses, maintenance fees, installation, upgrades, security, and all other IT

operations are included in their services.

The cloud also has an edge over the peer-to-peer file sharing model. The advantage it has

over peer-to-peer is that you are still in control of the content, but trust vendors to store or

manage the data on the cloud for you. You are not automatically forced to share the data or make

it public for others to use as well. In peer-to-peer, network users were providers and consumers

simultaneously, without intermediary hosts or servers.

Cloud-Based Services

There are many basic widely-used cloud-based services available to consumers today.

The top five services are iCloud, Google, Amazon CloudDrive, Windows Live, and Dropbox.

These services essentially offer free storage that can be accessed through the internet with any

compatible device. This is huge for business owners because they can now access files from

anywhere outside the office using their Smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

Cloud Architectures

We should consider how the cloud is evolving and how it is being applied today. We are

not talking about the abstract service models consisting of “Software as a Service” (SaaS),

“Platform as a Service” (PaaS), or “Infrastructure as a Service” (IaaS), but instead about cloud
 18

architectures. The cloud has evolved into three different dimensions, surprisingly similar to the

file-sharing architectures we just introduced. Those three dimensions are centralized clouds,

federated clouds, and peer-to-peer clouds.

Centralized clouds are typically maintained by the bigger vendors and use a super

datacenter to service commercial clients. Some examples of current applications are scientific

computations, data mining, Internet-scale web services, and data analytics.

Federated clouds logically evolved from centralized clouds by tying together multiple,

smaller clouds. By utilizing geographically distributed datacenters, users can create private

clouds within large clouds. The most distinct application of federated clouds is the case of

Massive Multiplayer Online Games, in which game content and loads are balanced amongst

several servers.

P2P Clouds are the extreme case of federated clouds, where individual peers assemble

clouds without any central monitoring or coordination. This enables resources to be distributed

so widely that costs are low. The P2P Cloud would provide on-demand scalability and access

to computing and storage space with no single point of failure nor central management. The most

sensible application would be something like multimedia streaming.

LEGALITY OF FILE SHARING

Under United States law file sharing is not an illegal act if the content is not copyrighted

or if the content is that of your own, in some cases even copyrighted material can be shared

freely. Copyright holders may choose to use Freeware, which allows the free use of software

with only a few restrictions over its use. Another way similar to that is Shareware, this method is

usually restricted by functionality and is often used to provide users with a concept of what the
 19

full version of the work is. These methods are largely used as promotional tools for software that

allow the users to test the product before making a purchase. The method of Open Source

provides the work to the public with unrestricted use, allowing the user to alter, copy, or

distribute without consequence or payment. These methods advocate the free exchange of

copyrighted material to the public without restricting the work to copyright but are mainly used

as promotional tools.

Copyrights

Copyrights in the United States were designed to protect creator’s rights over their work.

The rights they protect include the reproduction, distribution, derivative works, display and

transmission of their work. The right of reproduction and distribution allows the copyright holder

to have control over the reproduction or their work, this could relate to the design, graphics or

sound. The copyright also protects any works that are derived from the original copyrighted

work. The rights over display and transmission allow the copyright holder to control how his or

her work will be shared either privately or publicly as well as the method used to display their

work. These laws have been traditionally easy to enforce in the past due to the mainly physical

nature or the work in question. Though with the advent of the Internet, many works that were

once only available in a physical form are being created in a digital form. A large portion of

copyrighted materials is available on the Internet, which makes enforcing these laws very

difficult. The growing Internet community is coupled with a rapid increase in the sharing of files.
 20

Fallout of File-Sharing

Over the last decade the Internet has experienced a rapid increase in file sharing systems.

These systems are largely common and easy to create due in part to the low barriers of entry and

rapid development of technology. These systems can be peer to peer where users can download

files from another connected user or it can be a file hosting service in which the files are stored

and can be downloaded without requiring another user. While these systems are not illegal, the

data in question may be copyrighted making the unauthorized distribution of it illegal. The free

sharing of copyrighted content is known as Internet piracy. This has been a major problem for

companies in the entertainment industry. These systems allow for unrestricted file sharing

regardless of any copyright that may be attached to it, one of the most notable of these systems

was Napster. Napster provided a system allowing for the free sharing of music files and

eventually faced mass litigation from the Recording Industry Association of America. Yet due

the legality of the systems they cannot prevent the creation of them and can only prosecute the

creators or users of the system if their intentions were to clearly violate copyright laws.

Federal Intervention

The advancement of file sharing and the failing entertainment industry have brought

litigation rates to their highest, the Chamber of Commerce estimates that the industry losses $135

billion each year to the sharing of copyrighted material. After years of litigation the decision over

this issue has moved from the Supreme Court to Congress and the House of Representatives.

Recently The PROTECT IP Act was passed by congress and currently before the House is the

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Both of these acts are aimed at restricting file-sharing systems

across the entire Internet and in some cases completely eliminating the file sharing system all
 21

together if it infringes on copyright laws. Although these acts are in place to help economic

productivity it goes against the fundamental ideology of the Internet.

BEST USE FOR BUSINESS

Risks of Jumping to the Cloud

After consideration of the multiple structures of file-sharing, we have come to the part of

the paper in which we make a recommendation for business users looking for a practical way to

apply this new learned knowledge. To recap, we went over the system-native file sharing, client-

server file sharing, peer-to-peer file sharing, and cloud-based file sharing. We are often inclined

to flock and chase the latest technology available and that seems to be the case with the business

world’s hype around the cloud. However, we have yet to mention the risks involved with the

cloud.

Cloud-based service providers market reliability and security with the cloud. However,

more often than not, there are complaints surrounding the unstable technology. The main

disadvantages of the cloud are security, loss of control, unstable cost structure, decreased

business flexibility, and problems with integration. Here, we must remember the product life

cycle of technologies and when it is the optimum time to buy in. Cloud computing technologies

and business models are in there is arguably in its introduction or growth stage. The best time to

adopt a model is when it is mature, and not yet declining or obsolete. Therefore, we conclude

that the most stable file sharing model with the least amount of risk is the client-server model.

Most Cost Effective Model for Business

We understand the world is embracing the idea of connection at all times. It is obvious

with the adoption of cell phones and the near-extinction of landlines in personal lives.
 22

Connection and file-sharing options offer different capacity, performance and costs for the user

or supplier. The range and availability also varies. At the moment, no individual service offers

the best of everything. For example, most consumers would probably find the fastest download

speeds from broadband, whereas wireless offers better portability. We learned that that typically,

the greater the degree of portability, the lower the performance and reliability will be. The file-

sharing methods are just as vital as the selection of appropriate devices.

Therefore, our group believes that the most cost-effective model is the federated version

of the client-server model. We believe that this serves as the middle ground between the battle

between range and security, and convenience and performance. This does not exactly mean that

you should restrict yourself to a local area network with one dedicated server. There are indeed

ways of utilizing the tools of mobile access, the internet, synchronization, and real-time

collaboration, within a client-server model.

We conclude with a few examples common business systems that fit under the client-

server model. A relatively popular form of business telecommunications installs Virtual Private

Networks (VPNs) for their workforce. The power of VPNs are that they can be built using the

internet, and seamlessly connect sites-to-sites. The advantage that VPNs have over the cloud is

that you can control security and encryption yourself. VPNs can also be very cheap to

implement. Another example would be CRM and ERP systems. While close to cloud

applications, these programs are still more tightly managed. In fact, most corporations today use

a form of ERP.

We would like to finish off by reminding you that you may eventually implement all

forms of file-sharing architecture in different segments of your business. The size and structure

of your business may be key factors in determining the structure of which you will begin to
 23

model collaboration and coordination for your business. It is also useful to keep an eye on what

other organizations are successfully implementing for themselves. Keep an eye out on how the

cloud matures because it won’t be long before we have the technological capabilities to

standardize cloud usage in business.

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