Serving content from an off-line peer server in a photosharing peer-to-peer network in response to a guest request

A network photosharing system, comprising:

• at least one peer computer that enables a user of the computer to share digital images stored thereon with others in the network through a web browser without having to upload their pictures to a web site, the peer computer having a database of web albums, images, and at least one descriptor that includes an identification of the peer server, a number and identity of at least one image included in a web page comprising a respective web album, and access privileges for the web album and for the image therein;
• a proxy server coupled to the at least one peer computer that provides a path through which a visiting computer can accesses images from the peer server via a standard web browser, the proxy server including a cache for storing copies of the images from the peer computer;
• and
• a guest content server coupled to the proxy server for storing copies of the web albums and descriptors from the peer server database;
• wherein in response to a request from the visiting computer to view a web page in the peer computer when the peer server is off-line, the request is fulfilled by the guest content server forwarding its copy of the web page to the requesting computer, and by the proxy server forwarding its copy of the image associated with the web page to the requesting computer, thereby successfully serving content from the peer server even when the peer server is off-line.

A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for serving content from a peer server in a photosharing peer-to-peer network, wherein the peer server stores a web album and at least one associated digital image, the program instructions for:

• (a) prior to the peer server going off-line, synchronizing the peer server with a proxy server and a guest content server by,
• (i) copying the web page a web page descriptor defining the web album from the peer server to the guest content server, and
• (ii) copying the image associated with the web album from the peer server to the proxy server;
• and
• (b) in response to a request from a requesting computer to view content stored in the peer computer when the peer server is off-line, fulfilling the request by forwarding the web page from the guest content server to the requesting computer, and forwarding the image associated with a web page from the proxy server to the requesting computer, thereby successfully serving content from the peer server even when the peer server is off-line.