Thanks to a $1.1 million grant, a legitimate way for students to share files through a peer-to-peer network could soon become reality.

The grant, awarded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will allow the university to develop a technology called LionShare, a file-sharing system that requires students to log in each time.

The program is being designed as a way for students, faculty and staff to exchange personal and academic materials on a sanctioned, secure peer-to-peer network. Another advantage is that large files, which would be impossible to send via e-mail or another method, can be shared.

While the system is already functioning in a basic test form as part of a previous University Libraries project, associate vice provost for information technology Russell Vaught emphasized that the system will not be ready to use until 2005.

"It's not ready for general use; what we're talking about is a prototype," he said. "It's a neat project ... [but] it won't happen overnight."

Vaught said the program is easily confused with similar ones like Kazaa and LimeWire, and is a completely different concept.

LionShare will be a similar technology to those illegal peer-to-peer networks; however, it would be impossible for students to use it anonymously.

The system is authenticated, meaning students would log in every time they used it.

Only authorized faculty, staff and students could access files, and each transaction is logged, creating a permanent record of shared files.

"No one would ever want to use it for sharing illegal files, but it'll be a very powerful tool for sharing legal material," he said.

Vaught added that the program could be used for "music, videos, anything."

If, for example, a meteorology professor has pictures of the Earth he wants his students to use, he can load them onto his computer. Through the system, students would then be able to download the files onto their computer.

Students will not be able to swap files between one another, Vaught said.

Vaught said similar technology is already being used. It requires files to be loaded onto a server, then downloaded by students from that server. LionShare requires no additional servers; files are uploaded and downloaded through personal computers.

LionShare will probably cost less to run than the current system because maintenance of the server requires additional manpower, Vaught added.

Costs of the program should be covered by the Mellon foundation grant. Additional costs would probably be included in students' information technology fee each semester, but no new fees will be added, Vaught said.

"Right now, it's impossible to tell how much this will cost," he said.

Jeff Schmal (graduate-business administration) said such a service was "worth at least looking into."

While he was hesitant about the potential for a high setup cost, he said the system could improve relations between professors and students.

The university should not to rush into implementing the system, Schmal said, and a two-year wait seems reasonable.

Schmal said students would probably use all available options, including LionShare and services like Kazaa, and would not necessarily be discouraged from using the already-existing services.

"Everyone wants as much as they can," he said.

Stacie Turansky (junior-accounting) said she did not think the new service would affect student usage of current peer-to-peer applications.

"I ... wouldn't use it," she said, "but some students are more involved with classes."

She said if students can share with professors, they should be able to share with other students as well.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of British Columbia are also involved in the project, and ultimately, the program will enable Penn State staff members to work with colleagues from other institutions using shared resources.

-- Ed Rowe contributed to this report