Patent ID: 7451141

Claim:
A computer implemented method in a data processing system for processing search requests in a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising: responsive to an originating node in the peer-to-peer network generating a fan out search request, sending the search request to a set of peer nodes, wherein a respective peer node in the set forwards the search request to other peer nodes in the set; responsive to query results for the search request being made within the set or peer nodes, returning a query hit to the originating node, wherein the query results comprise an identification of whether a given peer node containing data corresponding to the search request is an inaccessible node, and wherein the inaccessible node is behind a firewall; selectively pulling the data corresponding to the search from accessible nodes identified in the search results; and selectively allowing the data corresponding to the search request to be pushed to the data processing system from an inaccessible node identified in the search results.