Patent ID: 7139834

Claim:
A system for directing data over an internet protocol (IP) network, the system comprising: a plurality of remote network appliances adapted to receive data via the IP network; a network router communicatively coupled to the IP network; a plurality of source network nodes, each source network node including a computer programmed with application routing functions for providing, to the network router, information regarding data available at the source network node, and for routing data to a remote network appliance via the IP network; the network router adapted to receive said provided information regarding data available at the source network nodes and to respond to a request for data routing to one of the plurality of remote network appliances by ascertaining availability of the requested data at the plurality of source network nodes using information provided thereby, by selecting one of the source network nodes that bears the requested data and by communicating with the computer at the selected source network node to facilitate the data routing request; and wherein the computer at the selected source network node is adapted to respond to the communication from the network router by implementing the programmed application routing functions to route the requested data from the selected source network node to the remote network appliance specified in the request.