Systems and methods for distributing data within an internet having a plurality of nodes

1. A method of distributing data within an internet having a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving, in a first node in the plurality of nodes , a first identifier, the first identifier corresponding to a file, the file having a plurality of portions;

subsequently, using the first identifier to select a second node in the plurality of nodes, by performing an operation with the first identifier and an ID for a node in the internet;

receiving, in the first node, an address set from the second node, the address set including a plurality of addresses;

in the first node, using a first address from the address set to send a message to a third node in the plurality of nodes;

subsequently, in the first node, receiving a first portion of the file from the third node;

in the first node, using a second address from the address set, to send the first portion of the file to a fourth node in the plurality of nodes; and

in the first node, receiving a second portion of the file from the fourth node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first node receives an address of the second node as a result of a logical operation between the first identifier and an identifier for another node in the plurality of nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein using the first address includes making a TCP connection.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation includes performing a bitwise XOR between the first identifier and an identifier for the first node.

5. A system of distributing data within an internet having a plurality of nodes, the system comprising:

circuitry that receives, in a first node in the plurality of nodes, a first identifier, the first identifier corresponding to a file, the file having a plurality of portions;

circuitry that subsequently uses the first identifier to select a second node in the plurality of nodes , by generating a first result by performing an operation with the first identifier and a second identifier, the second identifier corresponding to a node, generating a second result by performing the operation with the first identifier and a third identifier, the third identifier corresponding to another node, and selecting the second node by comparing the first and second results;

circuitry, in the first node, that receives a set of IP addresses from the second node, the set of IP addresses including a first IP address and a second IP address;

circuitry, in the first node, that uses the first IP address to send a message to a third node in the plurality of nodes;

circuitry, in the first node, that subsequently receives a first portion of the file from the third node;

circuitry, in the first node, that uses the second IP address to send the first portion of the file to a fourth node in the plurality of nodes; and

circuitry, in the first node, that uses the second IP address to receive a second portion of the file from the fourth node.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the circuitry that uses the first IP address includes means for making a TCP connection.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein using the second IP address to send includes making a TCP connection.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein using the second IP address to receive includes using the TCP connection.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the operation includes performing a bitwise XOR.

10. A method of distributing data within an internet having a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving, in a first node in the plurality of nodes, a first identifier, the first identifier corresponding to a data structure, the data structure having a plurality of portions;

subsequently, using the first identifier to select a second node in the plurality of nodes, by generating a first result by performing an operation with the first identifier and a second identifier, the second identifier corresponding to a node, generating a second result by performing an operation with the first identifier and a third identifier, the third identifier corresponding to another node, and selecting the second node by comparing the first and second results;

receiving, in the first node, a set of IP addresses from the second node, the set of IP addresses including a first IP address and a second IP address;

in the first node, using the first IP address to send a message to a third node in the plurality of nodes;

subsequently, in the first node, receiving a first portion of the data structure from the third node;

in the first node, using the second IP address to send the first portion of the data structure to a fourth node in the plurality of nodes; and

in the first node, using the second IP address to receive a second portion of the data structure from the fourth node.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein using the first IP address includes making a TCP connection.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the operation includes performing a bitwise XOR.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein using the second IP address to send includes making a TCP connection.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein using the second IP address to receive includes using the TCP connection.

15. A method of distributing data within an internet having a plurality of nodes, the method comprising:

receiving, in a first node in the plurality of nodes, a first signal, the first signal corresponding to a file, the file having a plurality of portions;

subsequently, using the first signal to select a second node in the plurality of nodes, by generating a first result by performing an operation with the first signal and a second signal, the second signal corresponding to a node, generating a second result by performing an operation with the first signal and a third signal, the third signal corresponding to another node, and selecting the second node by comparing the first and second results;

receiving, in the first node, a set of IP addresses from the second node, the set of IP addresses including a first IP address and a second IP address;

in the first node, using the first IP address to send a message to the third node;

subsequently, in the first node, receiving a first portion of the file from the third node;

in the first node, using the second IP address to send the first portion of the file to a fourth node in the plurality of nodes; and

in the first node, using the second IP address to receive a second portion of the file from the fourth node.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein using the first IP address includes making a TCP connection.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the operation includes performing a bitwise XOR.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein using the second IP address to send includes making a TCP connection.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein using the second IP address to receive includes using the TCP connection.

20. The method of claim 1 further including sending a message from the first node to the second node, the message containing a request to store an address corresponding to the first node, in association with the first identifier.

21. The method of claim 1 further including sending a message from the first node to the second node, the message containing a request to store an address and port number corresponding to the first node, in association with the first identifier.