Patent ID: 8103749

Claim:
A method for routing a message, the method comprising: receiving a message specifying an exchange of requested content between at least two nodes of a network, wherein the at least two nodes have respective addresses, and wherein the message is received from a source; evaluating an address replacement criteria based, at least in part, on one of the respective addresses, without reference to the requested content, wherein the address replacement criteria comprises the message is configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged over an external link of the network, and wherein the replacement criteria further comprises the message does not follow a previously identified message from the same source within a specified time interval; if the address replacement criteria is satisfied, replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address of another node of the network, wherein the replacement address is selected from a pool of replacement addresses, wherein the pool of replacement addresses includes a plurality of replacement addresses selected without regard to content stored at the plurality of replacement addresses, and wherein said replacing the one of the respective addresses with a replacement address results in a modified message configured to cause the requested content to be exchanged without use of the external link.