Patent ID: 8458254

Claim:
A Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network system, comprising multiple local overlay networks and a global overlay network composed of proxy service peers of all the local overlay networks, wherein: at least a local overlay network comprises more than one proxy service peer; the proxy service peer is adapted to receive a query request of a requesting peer, query the global overlay network for a proxy service peer list of the local overlay network where the requested peer resides, and return address information of a selected requested proxy service peer to the requesting peer; the proxy service peer is further adapted to count current transactions, calculate load information, and release the load information to the global overlay network or the local overlay network where the proxy service peer resides; the proxy service peer is further adapted to be registered and updated periodically; the proxy service peer is further adapted to release its load information at time of registration and update; wherein the requesting peer in the local overlay network is adapted to obtain a proxy service peer list in a local overlay network, and select a proxy service peer with a lightest load in the proxy service peer list for providing proxy services according to the load information.