Data-sharing relationships in the Web

TL;DR

This paper introduces the data-sharing graph to analyze large-scale data distribution systems, revealing small-world patterns that can inform both scientific understanding and system design.

Contribution

It proposes a novel data-sharing graph structure and demonstrates its effectiveness in characterizing sharing patterns in real systems.

Findings

Uncovered small-world patterns in data-sharing relationships

Potential for improved system design using identified structures

Applicable to other large-scale systems

Abstract

We propose a novel structure, the data-sharing graph, for characterizing sharing patterns in large-scale data distribution systems. We analyze this structure in two such systems and uncover small-world patterns for data-sharing relationships. Using the data-sharing graph for system characterization has potential both for basic science, because we can identify new structures emerging in real, dynamic networks; and for system design, because we can exploit these structures when designing data location and delivery mechanisms. We conjecture that similar patterns arise in other large-scale systems and that these patterns can be exploited for mechanism design.