Patent ID: 7035933

Claim:
A process for docking a connection requesting user node with a distribution network, said process including the following steps: (a) having an instructing node receive a connection request from said connection requesting user node; (b) forming an instructing node topology database indicating, at a point in time, (i) which, if any, user nodes are docked with said instructing node as child nodes; which, if any, user nodes are docked with each of said child nodes as grandchild nodes of said instructing node; which, if any, user nodes are docked with each of said grandchild nodes as great-grandchild nodes of said instructing node; and (ii) a bandwidth capacity of each respective one of said docked user nodes; (c) selecting from a group of nodes including the instructing node and said docked user nodes a recommended parent node for said connection requesting user node, wherein said recommended parent node has apparent available capacity to transmit content data to said connection requesting user node and is at least as close to said instructing node as any other docked user node having apparent available capacity to transmit content data to said connection requesting user node; and (d) providing a connection address list to said connection requesting user node, said connection address list listing each node in said instructing node's topology database from said recommended parent node back to said instructing node.