overlay network (redirected from P2P overlay)

overlay network

A logical network that runs on top of another network. For example, peer-to-peer networks are overlay networks on the Internet. They use their own addressing system for determining how files are distributed and accessed, which provides a layer on top of the Internet's IP addressing. A quality of service (QoS) system is also called an overlay network, because it uses an additional addressing mechanism that may change the route normally taken in the underlying network.