Patent ID: 7304994

Claim:
A method for routing in a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a message comprising a hash key of a hash function, the hash key further comprising a fixed portion which is associated with one of a plurality of zones in the peer-to-peer network and where the fixed portion comprises a string of bits that is further grouped into a number of disjoint groupings of bits; consulting a jump table which associates combinations of the groupings of bits with routing destination zones in the peer-to-peer network; and if an entry is found on the jump table which associates a destination zone with a next unresolved grouping of bits in the fixed portion of the hash key, then routing the message to the destination zone in the peer-to-peer network so that the message can be routed in a fixed path length to a final destination zone associated with the fixed portion of the hash key.