Distributed data storage is a network in which a user
stores his or her information on a number of peer network nodes.
The user also usually reciprocates and allows users to
use his or her computer as a storage node as well. Information may or may not
be accessible to other users depending on the design of the network.
Most of the peer-to-peer networks do not have
distributed data stores in that the user's data is only available when their
node is on the network.
Distributed data stored typically use error detection
and correction technique. Some distributed data stores use forward error
correction techniques to recover the original file when parts of that file are
damaged or unavailable.
Distributed data storage is another of the obvious
parts of a P2P network. In essence, each peer represents either generic storage
space or is a container for a specific list of items.
Distributed storage technology is a key method to ensure data reliability, which strips data to segments and stores them across distant nodes to overcome localization of the local backup technology. Choosing an optimized policy considering reliability, performance and costs is the key of the distributed data storage.
