Method and apparatus for operating a computer network

A computer network comprising a plurality of computers having data connections such that each computer within the network can communicate with any other computer within the network provided both computers are running and correctly connected into the network, each computer within the network comprising:

• a request generator for generating request messages each of which includes a token value indicative of the number of other computers within the network to be identified by the message and one or more specified conditions which each identified computer is to satisfy;
• and
• a request processor for processing received request messages by:
• determining if it is able to satisfy the one or more conditions specified in the request message and if so, decrementing the token value within the message and identifying itself to the originator of the corresponding received request message, and then,
• determining if the, possibly decremented, token value in the request message indicates that at least one further computer is required to be located by the message and if so, forwarding the one or more daughter messages on to a subsequent computer or computers within the computer network, unless a restriction criterion has been met,
• wherein each daughter message includes said one or more specified conditions and a token value such that the token value if only one daughter message is forwarded, or the sum of the token values of the daughter messages if more than one daughter message is forwarded, equals the, possibly decremented, token value of the received request message.

A computer for forming part of a computer network comprising a plurality of computers having data connections such that each computer within the network can communicate with any other computer within the network provided both computers are running and correctly connected into the network, the computer comprising:

• a request generator for generating request messages each of which includes a token value indicative of the number of other computers within the network to be identified by the message and one or more specified conditions which each identified computer is to satisfy;
• and
• a request processor for processing received request messages by:
• determining if it is able to satisfy the one or more conditions specified in the received request message and if so, decrementing the token value within the message and identifying itself to the originator of the received request message, and then,
• determining if the, possibly decremented, token value in the received request message indicates that at least one further computer is required to be located by the message and if so, forwarding one or more daughter messages on to a subsequent computer or computers within the computer network, unless a restriction criterion has been
• wherein each daughter message includes said one or more specified conditions and a token value such that the token value if only one daughter message is forwarded, or the sum of the token values of the daughter messages if more than one daughter message is forwarded, equals the, possibly decremented, token value of the received request message.