Patent ID: 7467190
Filing Date: 2008-12-16
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for accessing information in a peer to peer network, the method comprising: storing information among a plurality of peer client systems, wherein the information can be accessed by the peer client systems, the information collectively referred to as information sources; storing, in a first server system, location information indicative of a location of each information source, wherein the peer client systems are configured to communicate with the first server system to access the location information; generating, in the first server system, one or more subscriptions, wherein each subscription is associated with an information source and with one or more peer client systems, thereby indicating that the one or more peer clients systems is to be notified of any changes to the information source, and wherein the peer client systems are configured to communicate with the first server system to subscribe to one or more information sources; detecting, in the first server system, a modification to an information source, the step of detecting comprising receiving, from a first peer client system, an indication that a first information source has been modified, and if the first server system determines that there is a first subscription that is associated with the first information source, communicating to the first peer client system a list of second peer client systems that are associated with the first subscription, wherein the first peer client system communicates an alert message to each second peer client system using peer to peer (P2P) communication, the alert message including information indicating that the first information source has been modified, wherein each second peer client system can access an information source that is associated with the alert message, a copy of the information source being stored in another peer client system, and wherein each second peer client system can access the copy from the other peer client system.