LOAD BALANCING METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS

摘要

System and method for balancing a number of incoming connections of nodes connected to a peer-to-peer network [10]. The method includes receiving at a selecting node [14] information about out-finger candidates [16, 18, 20, 22, 24]. The information includes at least a quantifiable parameter [q] for the out-finger candidates [16, 18, 20, 22, 24] and the out-finger candidates [16, 18, 20, 22, 24] are possible nodes to be connected to the selecting node [14]. The method includes calculating in the selecting node [14], for each node of the out-finger candidates [16, 18, 20, 22, 24], a probability value by using a predetermined probability function [Pn] that uses as input the corresponding quantifiable parameter [q]; and selecting one node from the out-finger candidates [16, 18, 20, 22, 24] to be an out-finger node for the selection node [14] based on the probability value. The probability value is associated with a number of in-finger connections to the selected out-finger node.