A Random linear coding approach to distributed data storage

A method of retrieving a file comprising:

• collecting code vectors from at least one peer;
• viewing collected code vectors as a matrix;
• determining whether a dimension of the matrix is equal to a predefined number, and when the dimension of the matrix does not equal the predefined number then repeating said collecting, said viewing and said determining;
• and
• when the dimension of the matrix equals the predefined number, then recovering said file using the collection of code vectors in the matrix.

A computer readable medium having computer readable code thereon for providing a random linear coding approach to distributed data storage, the medium comprising:

• instructions for breaking a file into a plurality of pieces;
• instructions for determining a number of peers to use to store pieces of the file instructions for determining a random combination of particular pieces of said plurality of pieces to store at a peer of the number of peers in the network;
• instructions for calculating an associated code vector for said random combination of particular pieces;
• and
• instructions for storing a respective random combination of pieces and the associated code vector at each peer of said number of peers.

A computer readable medium having computer readable code thereon for retrieving a file previously stored using a random linear coding approach to distributed data storage, the medium comprising:

• instructions for collecting code vectors from at least one peer;
• instructions for viewing collected code vectors as a matrix;
• instructions for determining whether a dimension of the matrix is equal to a predefined number, and instructions for when the dimension of the matrix does not equal the predefined number then repeating said collecting, said viewing and said determining;
• and
• instructions for when the dimension of the matrix equals the predefined number, then recovering said file using the collection of code vectors in the matrix.