A method comprising: (a) receiving, in a local service registry from a client, a search query for a particular service, wherein the local service registry includes a local database listing services registered with the local service registry, wherein the local service registry is in a network of service registries, wherein each of the service registries includes a database listing services registered with the corresponding service registry, and wherein the services listed in each database, including the local database, are provided by service hosts in a network of nodes; (b) querying the local database to determine a first list of services that satisfy the search query; (c) determining a neighboring service registry, in the network of service registries, based on a property other than a property of the particular service, wherein the neighboring service registry neighbors the local service registry, and wherein the property other than the property of the particular service includes a property of a node in the network of nodes or a property of a relationship of one of the nodes to another one of the nodes in the network of nodes; (d) sending the search query to the neighboring service registry, wherein the neighboring service registry includes a neighboring database listing services registered with the neighboring service registry; (e) receiving, from the neighboring service registry, a second list of services, registered with the neighboring service registry, that satisfy the search query; and (f) returning, to the client, the first list of services and the second list of services that satisfy the search query. (a) receiving, in a local service registry from a client, a search query for a particular service, wherein the local service registry includes a local database listing services registered with the local service registry, wherein the local service registry is in a network of service registries, wherein each of the service registries includes a database listing services registered with the corresponding service registry, and wherein the services listed in each database, including the local database, are provided by service hosts in a network of nodes; wherein the local service registry includes a local database listing services registered with the local service registry, wherein the local service registry is in a network of service registries, wherein each of the service registries includes a database listing services registered with the corresponding service registry, and wherein the services listed in each database, including the local database, are provided by service hosts in a network of nodes; (b) querying the local database to determine a first list of services that satisfy the search query; (c) determining a neighboring service registry, in the network of service registries, based on a property other than a property of the particular service, wherein the neighboring service registry neighbors the local service registry, and wherein the property other than the property of the particular service includes a property of a node in the network of nodes or a property of a relationship of one of the nodes to another one of the nodes in the network of nodes; (d) sending the search query to the neighboring service registry, wherein the neighboring service registry includes a neighboring database listing services registered with the neighboring service registry; (e) receiving, from the neighboring service registry, a second list of services, registered with the neighboring service registry, that satisfy the search query; and (f) returning, to the client, the first list of services and the second list of services that satisfy the search query.