Use of a prefix hash table (pht) for locating services within a peer-to-peer communication network

A communication network (NET) including a distributed hash table (DHT) whose nodes (X1, X2, X3 . . . XN) provide services that may be accessed by network elements (T) connected to said telecommunication network, said distributed hash table (DHT) having:

• means for receiving a service location request (R) from a network element (T), said request containing at least one service identifier (ID), and
• search means for searching for at least one piece of location information within said hash table, with each one corresponding to a node providing the service denoted by said service identifier, and to transmit it or them to said network element,
• characterized in that said hash table is organized so that the location information is associated with keys containing at least one service identifier, and which correspond to leaves on a PHT binary tree whose nodes' labels are distributed within said distributed hash table, and
• in that the search means are designed for search for location information in all or some of the leaves whose labels are prefixes of the service identifier contained within said service request, and to transmit them to said network element.