Patent ID: 7921155

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, from a first client device of a plurality of client devices, a request for a file at a server computer system coupled to the plurality of client device over a network; in response to the request, referencing a prioritized list of proximate client devices of the plurality of client devices being maintained on the server computer system, wherein the proximate client devices of the prioritized list are closest in proximity to the first client device, wherein at least one of the proximate client devices maintains a current version of the requested file; choosing a second client device of the proximate client devices of the prioritized list, wherein the second client device is the closest in proximity to the first client device compared to other proximate client devices listed in the prioritized list and maintains the current version of the requested file; communicating a location of the second client device to the first client device to allow the first client device to directly obtain the current version of the requested file from the second client device; and transferring, from the second client device, the current version of requested file to the first client device.