Upstream (computer science)
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Upstream in computing is the speed at which data can be transferred from the client to the server (uploading). This differs greatly from downstream not only in theory and usage, but also in that upstream speeds are usually at a premium. Whereas downstream is important to the average home user for purposes of downloading content, uploads are used mainly for web server applications and similar processes where the sending of data is critical. ADSL and Cable modems are asymmetric, thereby rendering the upstream speed to be much lower than that of its downstream. Symmetric connections such as SDSL and T1, however, offer identical upstream and downstream speeds.
It also refers to a relationship between ISPs.
If a node A in the Internet is closer (fewer hops away) from the Internert backbone than a node B, then A is said to be upstream of B or conversely, B is downstream of A. Related to this is the idea of upstream providers. An upstream provider is usually an ISP that provides Internet access to its users by connecting to a larger ISP.
See also: downstream
References
- FOLDOC - The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?query=upstream&action=Search)