Peer-to-Peer Data Storage

• US 20160173607A1
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Four Mile Bay LLC
• Original Assignee: Four Mile Bay LLC
• Inventors: Lyren, Philip Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1089 Hierarchical topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A determination is made of users that form a group within a social network in which the users communicate with each other over a network with electronic devices in a client-server architecture. The users in the group within the social network form a peer-to-peer (P2P) storage group within a P2P storage network. In the P2P storage network, users are peers that act as a client and a server for each other.

Claims

1. A method executed by a computer system, comprising:

determining, by the computer system, members that form a group within a social network in which the members communicate with each other over a network with electronic devices in a client-server architecture;

forming, by the computer system, a peer-to-peer (P2P) storage network from the group such that the members of the group in the social network also become peers in the P2P storage network; and

distributing P2P storage between the peers so the peers backup data for each other.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

asking the members within the social network to join the P2P storage network as the peers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

evaluating a storage history of the members within the social network to determine if the members in the social network satisfy requirements to join the P2P storage network as peers, wherein the storage history includes P2P storage transactions that the members within the social network previously performed.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

ranking the peers in the P2P storage network;

distributing the P2P storage to the peers based on the ranking of the peers.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request from a first peer in the P2P storage network to increase an amount of P2P storage that the first peer stores for the peers;

receiving a request from a second peer in the P2P storage network to decrease an amount of P2P storage that the second peer currently stores for the peers;

matching the request from the first peer with the request from the second peer so the second peer sends P2P storage to the first peer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forming a hierarchy of subgroups from a single group within the P2P storage network;

ranking the hierarchy of subgroups based on an ability of a peer to reliably conduct P2P storage transactions;

placing the peers in the subgroups based on an analysis of previous P2P storage transactions conducted by the peers.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing a file on the P2P storage network;

adding an insignia to visually identify the file as being stored on the P2P storage network and to visually identify a name of the P2P storage network.

8. A computer system, comprising:

one or more memories that store instructions; and

a processing unit that executes the instructions to;

determine users that form a group within a social network in which the users communicate with each other over a network with electronic devices in a client-server architecture; and

form, with the users in the group within the social network, a peer-to-peer (P2P) storage group within a P2P storage network in which the users are peers that act as a client and a server for each other in the P2P storage network.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processing unit further executes the instructions to:

automatically join a user to the P2P storage network at a time when the user joins the group within the social network.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to:

evaluate historic P2P transactions of candidates to determine whether or not to extend the candidates an offer to join the P2P storage group.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein an amount of P2P storage that a peer allocates to the peers as peer storage is dynamic such that the amount increases during nighttime hours and decreases during daytime hours.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processing unit further executes the instructions to:

receive a request from a first peer to increase an amount of peer data that the first peer stores;

receive a request from a second peer to decrease an amount of peer data that the second peer stores;

match the first peer with the second peer so the first peer sends peer data to the second peer.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processing unit further executes the instructions to:

analyze user profiles of the users;

provide, based an analysis of the user profiles, recommendations to the users about which P2P social network that the users should join.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the users in the group within the social network include friends and relatives.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that cause a computer system to execute a method, comprising:

determine members that form a group of individuals with a common interest within a social network in which the members communicate with each other over an Internet with electronic devices in a client-server architecture; and

form a peer-to-peer (P2P) storage group from the members in the group within the social network such that the members in the P2P storage group are peers in a P2P storage network.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 15 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:

evaluate P2P storage resumes of individuals that are not in the P2P storage group;

rank, with information obtained from the storage resumes, the individuals based on whether the individuals are reliable P2P peers;

recruit some of the individuals to join the P2P storage group based on evaluation of the P2P storage resumes and ranking of the individuals.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 15 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:

evaluate historic P2P transactions of candidates;

score the candidates based on an evaluation of the historic P2P transactions;

determine whether the candidates can join the P2P storage group based on scores of the candidates.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 15 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:

move a member from the P2P storage group into another P2P storage group based on performance of the member as a peer in the P2P storage group.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 15 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:

rank peers in the P2P storage group based on how long a peer remains online and how much bandwidth the peer provides to store peer data;

distribute peer data to the peers based on rankings of the peers.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 15 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:

transfer a file to the P2P storage group;

mark a thumbnail of the file with insignia that visually shows the file as being stored in the P2P storage group and that visually identifies a name of the P2P storage network.