Patent ID: 8452844

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a computing system, a request from an authorized user to delete a particular data file being continuously forwarded among memories of computing devices within a network, wherein a plurality of data files comprising the particular data file are stored in the network by continuously forwarding the plurality of data files among memories of the computing devices without storing the plurality of data files on fixed storage mediums of the computing devices, wherein computing devices to which respective data files are forwarded are determined dynamically at computing devices receiving the respective data files based on statuses of respective computing devices and/or one or more statuses of the network; searching, by the computing system, a data structure including information associated with respective data files of the plurality of data files for information associated with the particular data file; determining, by the computing system, one or more memories storing the particular data file; and transmitting, by the computing system, instructions to the computing devices associated with the determined one or more memories to discontinue forwarding of the particular data file.