Large scale, heterogeneous Peer-to-Peer (P2P) systems impose a set of diverse requirements. Current solutions do commonly only address a subset of these requirements since there is a number of trade-offs and constraints due to the different dimensions and aims they address. In this paper we present a novel approach for designing overlay networks for large scale, highly dynamic and heterogeneous P2P systems. A set of mechanisms is proposed to meet the complete set of requirements while keeping the trade-offs and constraints in balance. In order to handle effectively the large number of peers, they are clustered in manageable groups considering the requirements on their stability. The novelty in this approach is in the identification of the core services and operations of the aforementioned systems. Based on the requirements of those services and operations, peers are assigned the most suitable roles. Role relationships are further introduced to enable (and provide) incentives for the peers to adopt the most suitable roles while selecting an efficient overlay structure to preserve efficiency, robustness and scalability. The proposed set of mechanisms is realized in Omicron, a novel hybrid P2P approach.
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