Load balancing distribution of data to multiple recipients on a peer-to-peer network

A peer node, comprising:

• a processor;
• a network interface operable to couple the peer node to a network;
• and a memory operable to store program instructions and a finger table, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to:
• communicate with one or more peer nodes on a peer-to-peer network, wherein the peer-to-peer network is an overlay network, wherein each peer node in the plurality has a different corresponding key value;
• wherein the peer node is operable to broadcast one or more items to a plurality of recipient nodes of the plurality of peer nodes by:
• arranging the plurality of peer nodes into a list according to a key value order
• dividing the list into two or more parts of approximately equal size, and
• forwarding each part of the list and the one or more items to a peer node corresponding to a first key in that part of the list, wherein dividing the list into two or more parts of approximately equal size, and forwarding each part of the list and the one or more items to a peer node corresponding to a first key value in that part of the list avoids overloading intermediate nodes in routing messages in the peer-to-peer network.

In a peer-to-peer overlay network a method for broadcasting one or more items of data to a plurality of recipient peer nodes selected from a plurality of peer nodes organized in a peer-to-peer overlay network wherein each peer node is associated with a different corresponding key value, the method comprising:

• arranging the plurality of recipient peer nodes into a list according to a key value order;
• dividing the list into two or more parts of approximately equal size;
• and
• forwarding each part of the list and the one or more items to a recipient peer node corresponding to a first key in that part of the list, wherein dividing the list into two or more parts of approximately equal size, and forwarding each part of the list and the one or more items to a peer node corresponding to a first key value in that part of the list avoids overloading intermediate nodes in routine messages in the peer-to-peer network.

A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable on a peer node to implement a method for broadcasting one or more items of data to a plurality of recipient peer nodes selected from a plurality of peer nodes organized in a peer-to-peer overlay network wherein each peer node is associated with a different corresponding key value, the method comprising:

• arranging a plurality of recipient peer nodes into a list according to a key value order;
• dividing the list into two or more parts of approximately equal size;
• and
• forwarding each part of the list and the one or more items to a recipient peer node corresponding to a first key in that part of the list, wherein dividing the list into two or more parts of approximately equal size, and forwarding each part of the list and the one or more items to a peer node corresponding to a first key value in that part of the list avoids overloading intermediate nodes in routine messages in the peer-to-peer network.