Patent ID: 8805932

Claim:
A method for enabling sharing of content files among nodes of a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, the P2P network comprising a plurality of sub-networks, each sub-network including a respective plurality of nodes capable of storing content files, wherein each sub-network has associated therewith a corresponding hash table for indexing the content files stored in the nodes of the sub-network, portions of the hash table being distributed among at least some of the nodes of the sub-network, and wherein, for each content file stored in at least one node of the sub-network, the hash table comprises a corresponding node list of the sub-network nodes which store the content file, the method comprising: associating each node of the sub-network listed in the node list corresponding to a content file with localization data comprising at least one of three localization data parameters providing an indication of the localization of the node within the sub-network, and when a node of the P2P network requests downloading of a selected content file, causing the requesting node to provide localization data of the node and causing the requesting node to obtain a preferential list of nodes storing the selected content file, the preferential list including a set of nodes listed in the node list as storing the selected content file, the nodes of the set being ordered based on a comparison between at least one localization data parameter of the requesting node and at least one localization data parameter of the nodes listed in the node list corresponding to the at least one localization data parameter of the requesting node, wherein the at least one of three localization data parameters comprises at least one of: a first parameter identifying an autonomous system corresponding to the sub-network which includes the node; a second parameter identifying a geographic area in which the node is located; and a third parameter identifying a point of presence used by the node for accessing the P2P network.