Microsoft tossed Windows 7 Beta 1 live for public consumption yesterday. Unfortunately, inadequate planning led to servers which they were using for the release (likely hosted by Akamai, though it would look even worse if Microsoft hosted the bits directly) to collapse under pressure at least twice. This is an IT headache which, sadly, came at a terrible time for those involved (Lisa, don’t lay them off just over one mistake!)

However, this situation could have been handled in two far better ways. The first possibility would have been the bit torrent protocol. Given the ubiquity of torrent clients, this would have been a great way to get the bits into peoples’ hands fast. However, given that bit torrent is, unfortunately, automatically associated with piracy, Microsoft may have felt that using it would have legitimized the protocol’s existence, thus causing “problems” down the road for their anti-piracy teams.

Thus, bit torrent usage for distribution of Windows 7 Beta 1 would have been a Very Bad Thing™. However, this doesn’t mean Microsoft didn’t have another far more tantalizing tool up their sleeves. Keep in mind that Microsoft needed a

1. cost effective
2. internet scalable
3. very fast file distribution solution

for distributing Beta 1.

Enter Avalanche. Let’s do a quick take on the first paragraph of Avalanche’s description, shall we?

The code-named research project “Avalanche” studies how to enable a cost effective, internet scalable and very fast file distribution solution (e.g. for TV on-demand, patches, software distribution). Such an approach leverages desktop PCs to aid in the distribution process, relieving congested servers and network links from most of the traffic.

Right. Obviously, Akamai, identified in part thanks to the wonders of 20/20 hindsight, hasn’t served its role as a “cost effective, internet scalable, very fast file distribution solution.” Avalanche, on the other hand (assuming proper implementation), would have worked perfectly given that Microsoft would have had a few “peers” online to kickstart the distribution (a fraction of the Akamai capacity it asked for). This was one of those times where Microsoft had a shot at implementing something absolutely wonderful but skipped on doing so for… well, nothing’s sake really.

Implementing Avalanche would have posed a solid number of benefits for Microsoft:

1. A new protocol and application would have seen mass deployment across a solid number of computers.
2. Microsoft would have reinforced their desired image as an “innovator” (using bit torrent has its benefits, but it’s hardly considered secure. The largest benefit to Avalanche is that peers have “zero-information of who has what,” which is certainly an innovation in its own right given the lack of privacy with the bit torrent protocol).
3. Windows 7 Beta 1 would have been handed off to those wanting a copy far faster than the current direct download solution.

Maybe it was the piracy stigma associated with p2p technology, but a quick rewording of how Avalanche works would have solved this in the public eye.

In the end, it just seems as if Microsoft blew a great shot.

Update: Stebet points out that Avalanche did leave whitepaper status for the distribution of Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2, but it seems the client is no longer available for download.