This file is a brief description of the Distributed Internet Backup System (DIBS) package.
- OVERVIEW
Since disk drives are cheap, backup should be cheap too. Of course it does not help to mirror your data by adding more disks to your own computer because a virus, fire, flood, robbery, power surge, etc. could still wipe out your local data center. Instead, you should give your files to peers (and in return store their files) so that if a catastrophe strikes your area, you can recover data from surviving peers. The Distributed Internet Backup System (DIBS) is designed to implement this vision.
Note that DIBS is a backup system not a file sharing system like Napster, Gnutella, Kazaa, etc. In fact, DIBS encrypts all data transmissions so that the peers you trade files with can not access your data.
- DOCUMENTATION
The DIBS distribution contains extensive documentation in the doc directory. See doc/dibs.{info,html,dvi} for documentaion. In particular the Installation section of the manual describes how to install everything and get started. See doc/dibs-faq.html for a list of frequently asked questions including the many ways in which DIBS may be useful to you.
- OBTAINING
To obtain DIBS go to
- http://dibs.sourceforge.net
- http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~emin/source_code/dibs
- freshmeat.net.
- USING
For detailed instructions, read the accompnaying documentation. If you just want to get started immediately, you can start the graphical user interface by typing "dibs.py" at the command line (without the quotes) after you install DIBS.
- FEEDBACK
Please contact emin@alum.mit.edu with questions and comments.