A system and method of serverless peer-to-peer group management and
maintenance is presented. Group formation and discovery of private,
public, and enumerated groups are provided, as is a method of joining
such a peer-to-peer group. Group information management provided by the
present invention ensures that each node maintains a current database
from the initial joining of the group through the run phase of
membership. Group graph maintenance utilizes a group signature to ensure
that partitions in a graph may be detected and repaired. The utility of
connections within the graph are also monitored so that non-productive
connections may be dropped to increase the efficiency of the group. The
diameter of the graph is also monitored and adjusted to ensure rapid
information transfer throughout the group. A disconnect procedure is used
to maintain the graph integrity and prevent partitions resulting from the
departure of a group member.