Patent ID: 6963914

Claim:
A server computer comprising: a memory for storing programs and data; a processor for executing programs; a program, stored in the memory and executable by the processor, for transmitting, responsive to a request therefor, a parent file containing a logical reference uniquely identifying a desired file independently of a network address, the program being capable of modifying the parent file by inserting a list of electronic addresses corresponding to the logical reference contained in the parent file before transmitting the parent file to the client; a second program for modifying the parent file by inserting a reference to a program for selecting a server upon a request for a certain desired file identified by a logical reference before transmitting the parent file to the client; a third program for identifying a status of each server identified in each electronic address in the replication directory as either a parent or child of the server in a genealogy tree representing servers storing the file; and a fourth program for tracking the server's load and to autonomously determine when, on the basis of the server's load, to delete one of the server's files, to delete the file, to update the server's replication directory to remove the electronic address of the file on the server, and to propagate an update request to all parent and children of the server in the replication directory requesting the parent and children to update their respective replication directories; wherein the server stores in the memory a replication directory associating logical references to files with electronic addresses of the files stored on a plurality of servers, the list of electronic addresses being excerpted from the replication directory.