Patent ID: 6990111

Claim:
A machine-implemented process for discovering a path for transferring at least one data packet from a source node to a destination node through a plurality of nodes linked together to form a network, the procedure comprising the unordered steps of: (a) sending, from the source node to a first randomly-selected one of the plurality of network nodes, a first feeler packet including first feeler data identifying the destination node and node transit log data identifying the source node; (b) independently from the first sending step (a), sending, from the destination node a second randomly-selected one of the plurality of network nodes, a second feeler packet including second feeler data identifying a network node and node transit log data identifying the destination node; and (c) in response to the receipt at a first receiving node of a first received feeler packet having node transit log data identifying the source node; (c.1) augmenting the node transit log in the first received feeler packet with data identifying the first receiving node to form an augmented first received feeler packet, (c.2) seeking, in the first receiving node, a record of a second received feeler packet having node transit log data identifying the destination node, and (c.2.1) if the second received feeler packet is found, combining the node transit log data from the first and second received feeler packets to represent a path discovered for transferring at least one data packet from the source node to the destination node through the network, otherwise (c.2.2) sending a copy of the augmented first received feeler packet to a second randomly-selected receiving node.