Distributed hash table

A distributed hash table (DHT) is a way to share information between computers around the world. It is like a really big filing cabinet filled with key-value pairs. Each key-value pair is like an index card with a label (the key) and some information (the value). When a computer needs to look up some information, it can look at the filing cabinet to find the key it needs. The filing cabinet should always have the same information, no matter which computer is looking at it. This system works very quickly, so computers can get the information they need almost instantly.