YouServ: A web-hosting and content sharing tool for the masses

Abstract

YouServ is a system that allows its users to pool existing desktop computing resources for high availability web hosting and file sharing. By exploiting standard web and internet protocols (e.g. HTTP and DNS), YouServ does not require those who access YouServ-published content to install special purpose software. Because it requires minimal server-side resources and administration, YouServ can be provided at a very low cost. We describe the design, implementation, and a successful intranet deployment of the YouServ system, and compare it with several alternatives.