Patent ID: 7779006

Claim:
A method for implementing a search for a content file in a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing system formed of multiple server computers, the method comprising: receiving a P2P search query in a client computer, wherein the client computer is one of the multiple server computers of the P2P system; performing a primary search of a first plurality of the other server computers of the P2P system using terms relating to the P2P search query, wherein the primary search is initiated in the P2P system by the client computer; returning the results of the primary search to the client computer; the client computer grouping the results of the primary search and ranking N number of the groups according to a first ranking metric; the client computer automatically selecting a metadata descriptor from at least one of the N number of the groups of the primary search and performing a secondary search of a second plurality of the other server computers of the P2P system based on said metadata descriptors, wherein the secondary search is initiated in the P2P system by the client computer; returning the results of the secondary search to the client computer; the client computer grouping the results of the secondary search according to their hash keys in the client computer and ranking the results of the secondary search according to a second ranking metric; reranking the results of the primary search based upon the ranked results of the secondary search; and displaying the reranked primary search results in human perceivable form.