Patent ID: 7730178

Claim:
A method for searching a peer-to-peer computer network, comprising: collecting data about a plurality of computers within the peer-to-peer network, wherein the collected data includes a network location of each of the plurality of computers and information on content that is available for searching on each of the plurality of computers, wherein the information on content that is available for searching on each of the plurality of computers is collected by one or more of: monitoring data exchanges among the plurality of computers; and utilizing results returned from a periodic common query to one or more of the plurality of computers within the peer-to-peer network; selecting at least one of the plurality of computers, based on the collected network location and information on content; and routing a search query from a computer to the selected at least one of the plurality of computers via the network location of the at least one of the plurality of computers, the search query including types of files being searched.