Patent ID: 7620679

Claim:
In a computer network having three or more computing devices in communication, a method for managing data available for access on the network, the method comprising: obtaining, at a host computing device included as pan of the computer network and associated with a user, a first user request to identify data corresponding to a set of criteria, the set of criteria including a unique security ID associated with the user; verifying authorization of the user to access the data corresponding to the set of criteria based on the unique security ID; obtaining an identification of data stored on the host computing device associated with the first user request and matching the set of criteria; automatically obtaining an identification of data stored on at least one computing device included in the computer network and matching the set of criteria; merging the identification of data stored on the host computing device associated with the user request and the identification of data stored on the at least one computing device included in the computer network; generating a first user result from the merging of the identification of data stored on the host computing device associated with the first user request and the identification of data stored on the at least one computing device included in the computer network; maintaining a record of the first user result; obtaining, at the host computing device, a second user request to identify data corresponding to the set of criteria; obtaining a second user result identifying data associated with the second user request and matching the set of criteria, stored on the host computing device; querying any other computing device in the computer network available to identify data associated with the second user request in response to the second user request; determining that one computing device in the computer network that was previously searched as a result of the first user request is unavailable to identify data corresponding to the second user request; generating a recalled result portion by recalling a portion of the first user result containing data located on the one computing device that is unavailable during the second user request; generating a substituted result by substituting the recalled result portion for results from the second user request of the one unavailable computing device; and generating a merged result by mer in results including a result from the any other computing device available to identify data in response to the second user request, the second user result, and the substituted result.