Patent ID: 8769115

Claim:
A method for utilizing a peer to peer computing network having at least a first data processor node and a second data processor node, the method comprising: a. connecting the first data processor node to the second data processor node over a communication medium using a peer to peer protocol, wherein the first data processor node and the second data processor node are configured to transmit messages over the communication medium in the peer to peer computing network; b. recording in the first data processor node a last transmission time at which a last message was transmitted between the first data processor node and the second data processor node over the communication medium in the peer to peer computing network; c. comparing, at an interval, the last transmission time to a value; d. disconnecting the connection between said first processor node from said second processor node when the value is reached and adding a new connection between the first processor node and a different node in place of the connection between said first processor node and said second processor node that was disconnected; and e. maintaining the connection between the first data processor node and the second data processor node when the value is not reached.