Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a system for
distributing data (e.g., content data) over a computer network and a
method of arranging receiver nodes in a computer network such that the
capacity of a server is effectively increased (e.g., the capacity of a
server may be effectively multiplied many times over; the capacity of the
server may be effectively increased exponentially). In one embodiment the
present invention may take advantage of the excess capacity many receiver
nodes possess, and may use such receiver nodes as repeaters. The
distribution system may include node(s) having database(s) which indicate
ancestor(s) and/or descendant(s) of the node so that reconfiguration of
the distribution network may be accomplished without burdening the
system's primary server. An embodiment of the present invention may
include a process for configuring a computer information distribution
network having a primary server node and user nodes docked in a cascaded
relationship, and reconfiguring the network in the event that a user node
departs from the network. In one example (which example is intended to be
illustrative and not restrictive), the process may include the steps of
providing a new user node (or connection requesting user node) with a
connection address list of nodes within the network, having the new user
node (or connection requesting user node) go to (or attempt to go to) the
node at the top of the connection address list, determine whether that
node is still part of the distribution network, and connect thereto if it
is, and if it is not, to go to (or attempt to go to) the next node on the
connection address list. In another example (which example is intended to
be illustrative and not restrictive), when a user node departs from the
distribution network, a propagation signal may be transmitted to the
nodes below it in the network, causing them to move up in the network in
a predetermined order. In another example (which example is intended to
be illustrative and not restrictive), the present invention may provide a
decentralized approach which provides, to each new user node (or
connection requesting user node) a path back to the root server.