Patent ID: 7764681

Claim:
A method for sending messages in a peer-to-peer network including a plurality of nodes, the method comprising: associating a location-independent address with a first node in the peer-to-peer network; sending a first message to the location-independent address, wherein the nodes in the peer-to-peer network are operable to route the first message to the first node with which the location-independent address is associated; re-associating the location-independent address with a second node in the peer-to-peer network instead of the first node in response to a request from the second node; and sending a second message to the location-independent address after re-associating the location-independent address with the second node, wherein the nodes in the peer-to-peer network are operable to route the second message to the second node with which the location-independent address is associated; wherein re-associating the location-independent address with the second node in the peer-to-peer network comprises associating a first instance of the location-independent address with the second node, wherein the method further comprises: associating a second instance of the location-independent address with a third node in the peer-to-peer-network; and sending a third message to the location-independent address after associating the second instance of the location-independent address with the third node, wherein the nodes in the peer-to-peer network are operable to route the third message to both the second node which the first instance of the location independent address is associated and the third node with which the second instance of the location independent address is associated.