Patent ID: 7516240

Claim:
A method of managing a content distribution system including a plurality of computerized devices, comprising: configuring the computerized devices to operate as content servers for a plurality of host domains and to form a plurality of locations as respective groupings of the computerized devices, each location serving as a respective node in one or more respective virtual content-distribution trees for the distribution of content in the content distribution system, selected ones of the computerized devices being further configured to operate as tree-forming leaders for their respective locations, the tree-forming leaders being operative to communicate among themselves to form the virtual content-distribution trees; obtaining a list of the content servers authorized to obtain and serve content for a specified host domain; determining whether a virtual content-distribution tree exists which covers the list of content servers for the specified host domain, and if not then directing the tree-forming leaders of selected ones of the locations to create a virtual content-distribution tree which covers the list of content servers for the specified host domain; and providing tree information to the tree-forming leaders of the locations, the tree information including (1) an identifier of the specified host domain, (2) a list of content servers for the specified host domain, and (3) an identifier of the virtual content-distribution tree which covers the list of content servers for the one host domain.