A backend server for a peer-to-peer network manages nodes according to a pod-based management scheme. Each pod comprises a plurality of nodes and only nodes within the same pod can directly share data in the peer-to-peer network. The server dynamically allocates nodes to pods and dynamically allocates computing resources for pushing data to the pods based on characteristics of the incoming data stream and performance of the peer-to-peer sharing. By dynamically adjusting the pod structure and resources available to them based on monitored characteristics, the server can optimize performance of the peer-to-peer network.