Patent ID: 9635107
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A tracker module for use in a peer-to-peer communications network, the tracker module configured to manage content data transfers between a discrete set of network elements forming a tracker domain within the network, the tracker module comprising: a storage medium having a content table stored therein, the content table including a record of content data available to each network element within the tracker domain; a communications interface for receiving a content data request from a requesting network element in the tracker domain; a processing unit for interrogating the content table stored in the storage medium and determining whether the requested content data is available to any of the network elements within the tracker domain; wherein the tracker module is configured so that: wherein the tracker module is a first tracker module in a lower hierarchy level, wherein the other tracker module is in a higher hierarchy level, and wherein the tracker module is configured to receive, from the other tracker module, information identifying an additional tracker module in the lower hierarchy level which has the requested content data available to network elements within a tracker domain of the additional tracker module.