System and method for the unique naming of resources in networked
environments including peer-to-peer network environments. Embodiments may
be used to generate network resource identifiers that uniquely identify
resources such as processes over time and across the networked
environment. One embodiment may be implemented as a resource name
generator that generates unique identifiers for resources in networked
environments. One embodiment may generate unique network resource
identifiers for processes from information including, but not limited to,
a host address that uniquely identifies on the network the host machine
of the resource for which the unique network resource identifier is being
generated, a current time (e.g. obtained from the host machine or
alternatively from an external source such as an atomic time server), and
a process identifier of the process that uniquely identifies the process
among current processes on the host machine.