Peer-to-Peer Video Data Sharing

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to perform operations including:
• storing multicast transmission data, wherein the multicast transmission data indicates multicast groups to which network elements are joined;
• receiving a request from a first network element, the request related to previously sent data packets of media content;
• determining whether a second network element can be identified, wherein the second network element was joined to a multicast group associated with the media content when the previously sent data packets were sent;
• and
• in response to identifying the second network element, sending information identifying the second network element to the first network element.

A computer-readable storage device storing instructions executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

• storing multicast transmission data, wherein the multicast transmission data indicates multicast groups to which network elements are joined;
• receiving a request from a first network element, the request related to a previously sent data packet of media content;
• determining whether a second network element can be identified, wherein the second network element was joined to a multicast group associated with the media content when the previously sent data packet was sent;
• and
• in response to identifying the second network element, sending information identifying the second network element to the first network element.