Structured peer-to-peer overlays, sometimes also referred to as
Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs), are scalable network infrastructures
that support Internet-scale network applications utilizing a
decentralized resource model.  At their core, these overlays provide
Key-Based Routing (KBR), where messages addressed to any Key will
incrementally route towards an overlay node responsible for that key.
On top of the KBR layer, these overlays can support distributed
storage using a DHT layer or data location using a DOLR layer.

On top of these overlays, researchers have proposed numerous
distributed applications, including distributed storage and backup
systems, multicast systems, resilient routing networks, distributed
spam filters, mobility support and anonymous routing networks.

Chimera is a light-weight C implementation of a "next-generation"
structured overlay that provides similar functionality as
prefix-routing protocols Tapestry and Pastry.  Chimera gains
simplicity and robustness from its use of Pastry's leafsets, and
efficient routing from Tapestry's locality algorithms.  In addition to
these properties, Chimera also provides efficient detection of node
and network failures, and reroutes messages around them to maintain
connectivity and throughput.