Dynamic peer application discovery

A network that discovers and maintains information on applications within said network comprising:

• a plurality of peer devices connected to said network;
• a plurality of peer applications operating on said plurality of peer devices connected to said network, each of said plurality of peer applications maintaining a list of active peer applications;
• a source peer device, coupled within said network, said source peer device being one of said plurality of peer devices connected to said network;
• a source peer application having an associated source multicast address on which a multicast packet containing information describing said source peer application is intermittently broadcast on said network, said source peer application operating on said source peer device, said source peer application being one of said plurality of peer applications, said source peer application receiving a source active request from at least one of said plurality of peer applications if said source peer application is operational on said network, said source peer application transmitting a source active response to said source active request to said at least one said plurality of peer applications that sent said source active response if said source peer application is operational on said network;
• at least one recipient peer device, coupled within said network, said at least one recipient peer device being at least one of said plurality of peer devices connected to said network;
• and
• at least one recipient peer application having an associated recipient socket number on which said intermittently broadcast multicast packet containing information describing said source peer application is received, said at least one recipient peer application operating on said at least one recipient peer device, said at least one recipient peer application being at least one of said plurality of peer applications, said at least one recipient peer application intermittently updating said list of active peer applications on said at least one recipient peer application based on said multicast packet broadcast by said source peer application, said at least one recipient peer application determining that said source peer application is suspected of being inactive if said at least one recipient peer application does not receive said intermittently broadcast multicast packet from said source peer application within a particular period of time, said at least one recipient peer application transmitting said source active request to said source peer application if said source peer application is determined to be suspected of being inactive, said at least one recipient peer application receiving said source active response from said source peer application if said source peer application is operational on said network, said at least one recipient peer application updating said list of active peer applications on said at least one recipient peer application based on said source active response such that a lack of said source active response from said source peer application indicates that said source peer application is inactive.

A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium for updating and maintaining peer application information on a network, said computer program product comprising computer instructions for:

• maintaining a list of active peer applications on each peer application of said plurality of peer applications, said plurality of peer applications operating on a plurality of peer devices, said plurality of peer devices connected to said network;
• intermittently broadcasting a multicast packet containing information describing a source peer application on said network, each peer application of said plurality of peer applications intermittently operating as said source peer application relative to a receiving, group of peer applications, said receiving group of peer applications comprising said plurality of peer applications within said network excluding said source peer application;
• intermittently receiving said multicast packet by at least one recipient peer application of said receiving group of peer applications;
• intermittently updating said list of active peer applications on said at least one recipient peer application based on said multicast packet broadcast by said source peer application;
• determining by said at least one recipient peer application that said source peer application is suspected of being inactive if said at least one recipient peer application does not receive said intermittently broadcast multicast packet from said source peer application within a particular period of time;
• transmitting a request from said at least one recipient peer application to said source peer application if said source peer application is determined to be suspected of being inactive;
• receiving said request from said at least one recipient peer application at said source peer application if said source peer application is operational on said network;
• transmitting a response to said request by said source peer application to said at least one recipient peer application if said source peer application is operational on said network;
• receiving said response to said request from said source peer application by said at least one recipient peer application if said source peer application is operational on said network;
• and
• updating said list of active peer applications on said at least one recipient peer application based on said response to said request of said source peer application such that a lack of said response to said request from said source peer application indicates that said source peer application is inactive.