Once a Microsoft Research project, Microsoft"s forthcoming P2P-based storage engine will be targeted at the growing market for managing and delivering compliance and reference data. Microsoft is working to commercialize "BitVault," a Microsoft Research technology designed to store large volumes of seldom-changing information – the kind of material that overwhelms enterprises needing to house lots of compliance and reference data.
BitVault is Microsoft"s code name for a "content-addressable retention platform for large volumes of reference data." BitVault incorporates P2P (peer-to-peer) technology for self-managing and self-healing and uses "massively parallel repair" to reduce the vulnerability of data loss, according to a white paper on the project. Much, if not all of the work on the BitVault strategy and working prototype seems to be coming out of Microsoft Research Asia.