Multi-source
Encyclopedia
Multi-source, as it applies to downloading data
, or files from the internet
, is a method of decreasing download time for large files by getting data from two or more sources
.
and begin downloading the desired file, then find another computer hosting the same file and begin downloading that file as well. The program controls downloads so that each source file provides separate data and the user does not download the same part of the file twice. The program then builds the file on the downloader's computer much faster than it would if it had to wait for the entire file to be downloaded from a single source.
This works faster because the rate at which the file servers upload is finite and download rates are generally faster than upload rates. Therefore, downloading from a single server would create a bottleneck if the server's upload rate does not equal your maximum download rate. So distributing the download across multiple servers allows you to utilize all of your download rate potential.
Many download manager
s use the principles of multi-source downloading.
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
, or files from the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, is a method of decreasing download time for large files by getting data from two or more sources
Communication source
A source or sender is one of the basic concepts of communication and information processing. Sources are objects which encode message data and transmit the information, via a channel, to one or more observers ....
.
Overview
A program that can handle multi-source downloads will connect to one computerComputer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and begin downloading the desired file, then find another computer hosting the same file and begin downloading that file as well. The program controls downloads so that each source file provides separate data and the user does not download the same part of the file twice. The program then builds the file on the downloader's computer much faster than it would if it had to wait for the entire file to be downloaded from a single source.
This works faster because the rate at which the file servers upload is finite and download rates are generally faster than upload rates. Therefore, downloading from a single server would create a bottleneck if the server's upload rate does not equal your maximum download rate. So distributing the download across multiple servers allows you to utilize all of your download rate potential.
Many download manager
Download manager
A download manager is a computer program dedicated to the task of downloading possibly unrelated stand-alone files from the Internet for storage...
s use the principles of multi-source downloading.