 | |
Type of site | Volunteer computing |
|---|---|
| Owner | Distributed Computing Technologies, Inc. |
| URL | distributed.net |
| Launched | February 1997 |
| Current status | Active |
Distributed.net is a volunteer computing effort that is attempting to solve large scale problems using otherwise idle CPU or GPU time. It is governed by Distributed Computing Technologies, Incorporated (DCTI), a non-profit organization under U.S. tax code 501(c)(3).
Distributed.net is working on RC5-72 (breaking RC5 with a 72-bit key).[1] The RC5-72 project is on pace to exhaust the keyspace in just over 40 years as of February 2024,[2] although the project will end whenever the required key is found. RC5 has eight unsolved challenges from RSA Security, although in May 2007, RSA Security announced[3] that they would no longer be providing prize money for a correct key to any of their secret key challenges. distributed.net has decided to sponsor the original prize offer for finding the key as a result.[4]
In 2001, distributed.net was estimated to have a throughput of over 30 TFLOPS.[5] As of August 2019[update], the throughput was estimated to be the same as a Cray XC40, as used in the Lonestar 5 supercomputer,[6] or around 1.25 petaFLOPs.[7]
- ^ "RC5-72 project page". distributed.net.
- ^ "RC5-72 / Overall Project Stats". rsa.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-17.
- ^ "RSA Laboratories Secret-Key Challenge". rsa.com. Archived from the original on 2007-07-06.
- ^ "RC5-72 Continuation Announcement". distributed.net.
- ^ "distributed.net mailing list archive".
- ^ "Distributed.net: Staff blogs – 2019 – August – 23".
- ^ "TACC's Lonestar 5 Supercomputer Now in Full Production".