Often referred to simply as
peer-to-peer, or abbreviated
P2P, a type of
network in which each
workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities. This differs from
client/server architectures, in which some computers are
dedicated to serving the others. Peer-to-peer networks are generally simpler, but they usually do not offer the same performance under heavy
loads.
Also see
All
About Peer-To-Peer Architecture in Webopedia's "Did
You Know...?" section.