Patent ID: 7953875
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A distributed computer system comprising: a plurality of computers, each computer storing data items, each data item being assigned to one of a plurality of virtual directories; each computer that has a said data item stored thereon having at least one node of a virtual network for directory look-up, said node for directory look-up comprising each computer that has a said data item stored thereon having, for each item stored thereon, a node of a virtual network for item look-up, said node for item look-up comprising wherein at least one computer has retrieval means, responsive to receipt of a query identifying a directory and an item within that directory, to in which each computer having retrieval means includes also secondary retrieval means operable (a) upon receipt of a reply message identifying a computer having one or more items in a particular directory to identify further computers having one or more items in that directory; and (b) to create a list of items in that directory.